Once, many eons ago, I was sitting by myself in the Waffle House that once existed on South U.S. 441 in Gainesville late at night, doing something esoteric like deciphering a Vietnamese translation of Jack London's short stories or codifying physics formulae into matrices while eating one of their classic breakfasts with raisin toast and cheesy scrambled eggs. A party was seated in the booth in front of me, and everybody seemed to have something to say to each other about what was going on in their lives. All of it was negative, one complaining rant after another about their problems with people in their families, people at work, people, people, people. I could tell that the group as a whole seemed to be getting off on each other's woes, almost as if they were passing around a joint. But there was one middle-aged, haggard-looking woman there whose only contribution to the conversation was the periodic interjection, "Life's a bitch." It could well be that this woman was drunk (they all seemed to have been drinking) and she was trying to fit into the spirit of the proceedings without being able to come up with any beefs of her own. But the more I thought about it, the more I came to a different conclusion. Maybe she was trying to tell others, in her own limited way, that all of their travails were normal elements of a typical life and that, sure, problems make you feel bad, but EVERYBODY'S got problems. So stop whining like a bunch of crybabies. Yeah sure, life's a bitch... get over it and move on!
Then again, most likely she was just stone drunk!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Long Walk: My Version
Early in his professional writing career, Stephen King wrote several stories under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Among these was an intriguing tale titled The Long Walk. In it, a future or alternative America staged a walking race like no other: the contestants had to walk at a pace of at least 4 mph or they would be eliminated. Literally eliminated, i.e. shot dead on the spot. The race was over when all contestants had been "eliminated" but one, leaving the winner (and only survivor). I'll leave it to you to read it for yourself if you want. King has written better stories, but it did leave an impression on me nevertheless regarding race walking and walking in general.
When Melissa and I walk around our block, we usually do so at a 3-3.2 mph pace. On the treadmill, I usually cool down from a run at 3.4 mph. But Stephen King's 4 mph is a pretty high level for me. And that got me to thinking...
While I am recovering from my leg injury and waiting to run again, why not just see how fast I can walk and for how long? And why not start with 4 mph as a minimum speed, conveniently using my YMCA's treadmill? Yes, I can still use the elliptical cross-trainer and the weights in my workout while enhancing it with a brisk walking session. I think I'll try this out tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I am also aware of how painfully funny race walkers look, with their exaggerated hip motions. This may be one big reason why more people pursue competitive running instead, in spite of the increased injury hazards associated with that activity. Also, I think it would be hard to police a public walking race as there would need to be race officials practically everywhere to scrutinize the contestants to insure that no one cheated by running here and there. But I'm not all that interested in competitive racing against others, anyway. Just knowing how I am doing with my speed and endurance is good enough for me. But I do like the idea of a public event dedicated to this activity in which, like with running, I could participate from time to time in a more social context.
A lot of the 5K public running races that are routinely offered combine the running with an invitation for walkers to participate as well. Usually though, this is just for the folks heavily into the charities that are running the events; these people tend to take their sweet time getting through the course and aren't all that interested in walking per se. I'd like a setting that attracted fitness walkers who wanted to test each other out in competition, but I don't see that anywhere. Not in Gainesville, at least. But that would be my idea of a fine "long walk".
When Melissa and I walk around our block, we usually do so at a 3-3.2 mph pace. On the treadmill, I usually cool down from a run at 3.4 mph. But Stephen King's 4 mph is a pretty high level for me. And that got me to thinking...
While I am recovering from my leg injury and waiting to run again, why not just see how fast I can walk and for how long? And why not start with 4 mph as a minimum speed, conveniently using my YMCA's treadmill? Yes, I can still use the elliptical cross-trainer and the weights in my workout while enhancing it with a brisk walking session. I think I'll try this out tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I am also aware of how painfully funny race walkers look, with their exaggerated hip motions. This may be one big reason why more people pursue competitive running instead, in spite of the increased injury hazards associated with that activity. Also, I think it would be hard to police a public walking race as there would need to be race officials practically everywhere to scrutinize the contestants to insure that no one cheated by running here and there. But I'm not all that interested in competitive racing against others, anyway. Just knowing how I am doing with my speed and endurance is good enough for me. But I do like the idea of a public event dedicated to this activity in which, like with running, I could participate from time to time in a more social context.
A lot of the 5K public running races that are routinely offered combine the running with an invitation for walkers to participate as well. Usually though, this is just for the folks heavily into the charities that are running the events; these people tend to take their sweet time getting through the course and aren't all that interested in walking per se. I'd like a setting that attracted fitness walkers who wanted to test each other out in competition, but I don't see that anywhere. Not in Gainesville, at least. But that would be my idea of a fine "long walk".
Friday, March 25, 2011
Swimming Progress Encouraging
Yesterday at the YMCA pool, I finally made a strong effort to swim a few of the 25-meter lanes there. It was a timely decision as the rest of the pool was taken up by bouncers and scooby-doos (my terms for water aerobics exercisers and scuba-diving students, respectively). I hit upon an effective strategy to my lane swimming: I would swim freestyle in one direction and then paddle on my back in an improvised, easier-for-me backstroke in the other. Thus I was able to keep myself rested for more laps. I ended up swimming 12 laps in all, a personal record by far for lane swimming.
By doing lane swimming, I was also able to focus more on the one major impediment to my ability to swim longer distances nonstop: incorrect breathing form. But I checked out some tips on the Internet, especially swimming instructor Terry Laughlin's suggestions to help with breathing. And I intend to try them out the next time I go swimming.
I also think it's about time for me to get serious with learning the breaststroke and integrating it within my swimming practice sessions. I've seen other swimmers in the lanes who changed styles as they swam laps, and I have always wanted to be able to do that. Besides, the breaststroke looks like a simpler stroke than freestyle as far as breathing is concerned. I have seen swimmers doing the breaststroke with their heads always above the surface, but I want to follow McLaughlin's precepts and keep below surface for much of the stroke. Well, I should have plenty of time to practice, with the warm weather ahead of me here in Florida!
By doing lane swimming, I was also able to focus more on the one major impediment to my ability to swim longer distances nonstop: incorrect breathing form. But I checked out some tips on the Internet, especially swimming instructor Terry Laughlin's suggestions to help with breathing. And I intend to try them out the next time I go swimming.
I also think it's about time for me to get serious with learning the breaststroke and integrating it within my swimming practice sessions. I've seen other swimmers in the lanes who changed styles as they swam laps, and I have always wanted to be able to do that. Besides, the breaststroke looks like a simpler stroke than freestyle as far as breathing is concerned. I have seen swimmers doing the breaststroke with their heads always above the surface, but I want to follow McLaughlin's precepts and keep below surface for much of the stroke. Well, I should have plenty of time to practice, with the warm weather ahead of me here in Florida!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Running Recovery Hits Minor Snag
My running progress hit a bump in the road Tuesday when I set out to run around my neighborhood, with 6+ miles as my distance goal. This kept with my stated aim of gradually increasing my distance while taking notice of how my right leg felt around the knee (I am recovering from an IT band injury). On Saturday I had pulled off a similar 5-mile run without any pain or warning signs, so I was cautiously optimistic. Tuesday's run was unpleasant to begin with: it was warm and very, very humid. But I've run through those conditions without trouble before; the problem was that I begin to notice my right knee area between 4 and 5 miles. I walked much of the remaining distance, which I curtailed at 5.69 miles to prevent any aggravation to that area in my right leg.
So apparently I wasn't spacing my runs out enough over the week and will have to give myself some more time before I set out again. I think that when I resume running, I will stick to one run per week for a couple of months. Also, I'd like to confine my running to the treadmill since that seems to involve less shock to my knees.
This IT band problem has been really unsettling to me, but I have been able to partially compensate for my sidelining from running by doing other things. Like swimming, for example, which I will write about in tomorrow's post.
So apparently I wasn't spacing my runs out enough over the week and will have to give myself some more time before I set out again. I think that when I resume running, I will stick to one run per week for a couple of months. Also, I'd like to confine my running to the treadmill since that seems to involve less shock to my knees.
This IT band problem has been really unsettling to me, but I have been able to partially compensate for my sidelining from running by doing other things. Like swimming, for example, which I will write about in tomorrow's post.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Learning New Chinese Characters
Lately I have been working to increase my knowledge of Chinese characters. While doing this I am also learning Japanese kanji, which are just Chinese characters adapted to the Japanese language.
Years ago, I once went through the extensive Defrancis Chinese textbook series published by Yale University Press. In doing so, I learned about 1,700 characters, which I memorized and still review on a weekly basis to this day. Later I picked up about 1,500 more new characters by reading various texts in Chinese, although these I have unfortunately allowed myself to forget for the large part over the years. Now I am adding them to the 1,700, along with Chinese characters used in Japanese kanji, for additional memorization.
My intent is to be able to fluently read Chinese (and eventually Japanese) without having to go through the arduous process of having to consult a character dictionary a couple of times or more for every sentence I stumble through. Even after increasing my vocabulary, I'll keep coming upon new unknown characters to look up. But at least that shouldn't distract too much from the flow of my reading.
My blog entries recently have been more sparse, largely due to the fact that I am spending much of the time I would have used to write my entries instead to study the additional Chinese/Japanese characters. But it sure is fun!
Years ago, I once went through the extensive Defrancis Chinese textbook series published by Yale University Press. In doing so, I learned about 1,700 characters, which I memorized and still review on a weekly basis to this day. Later I picked up about 1,500 more new characters by reading various texts in Chinese, although these I have unfortunately allowed myself to forget for the large part over the years. Now I am adding them to the 1,700, along with Chinese characters used in Japanese kanji, for additional memorization.
My intent is to be able to fluently read Chinese (and eventually Japanese) without having to go through the arduous process of having to consult a character dictionary a couple of times or more for every sentence I stumble through. Even after increasing my vocabulary, I'll keep coming upon new unknown characters to look up. But at least that shouldn't distract too much from the flow of my reading.
My blog entries recently have been more sparse, largely due to the fact that I am spending much of the time I would have used to write my entries instead to study the additional Chinese/Japanese characters. But it sure is fun!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Libya No-Fly Zone Belatedly Established
Regarding the recent decision on the part of the United States government to seek UN and NATO cooperation to enforce a no-fly zone in Libya after two weeks of hemming and hawing around while dictator Gadhafi regained the edge in that country's civil war, I wonder whether the action now taken is too late. Anyone could see that there was a time when Gadhafi was on the verge of being driven out when he then began to use his nation's air force against his own people, employing a brutal sweeping bombing campaign against rebels with little or no regard for human life. And the U.S. under Obama just stood around with the president making tepid statements to the effect that Gadhafi was on the wrong side of history and needed to go. Now that the rebels have been driven back to a defensive stance and Gadhafi's loyalists have been allowed the time to entrench themselves, it looks as if we are now in for a totally avoidable and prolonged conflict destined to cost many more lives than if Obama had acted in a more timely fashion.
Now reports are coming out that it was Obama's Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who opposed military involvement in Libya and who initially prevailed over Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who wanted a no-fly zone established and enforced from the beginning when it became apparent as to what Gadhafi's intentions were. Obama should have paid more attention to Clinton as she was in the White House throughout her husband's presidency when he had to confront similar crises in Rwanda and Bosnia (lives lost through inaction and delay) and Haiti and Kosovo (lives saved through quick action).
The Arab League has strongly endorsed the no-fly zone over Libya and welcomed the U.S. involvement, quite a departure from its reaction to the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld invasion of Iraq in 2003. And also unlike Iraq, there will be no American ground combat forces in Libya.
So I welcome the decision to set up a no-fly zone in Libya and give the rebels a fighting chance to survive. But the action may have come too late, a hesitation that I think is almost unforgivable.
Now reports are coming out that it was Obama's Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who opposed military involvement in Libya and who initially prevailed over Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who wanted a no-fly zone established and enforced from the beginning when it became apparent as to what Gadhafi's intentions were. Obama should have paid more attention to Clinton as she was in the White House throughout her husband's presidency when he had to confront similar crises in Rwanda and Bosnia (lives lost through inaction and delay) and Haiti and Kosovo (lives saved through quick action).
The Arab League has strongly endorsed the no-fly zone over Libya and welcomed the U.S. involvement, quite a departure from its reaction to the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld invasion of Iraq in 2003. And also unlike Iraq, there will be no American ground combat forces in Libya.
So I welcome the decision to set up a no-fly zone in Libya and give the rebels a fighting chance to survive. But the action may have come too late, a hesitation that I think is almost unforgivable.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Running and Swimming: Personal Journeys Continue
If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you know that I sustained an IT band injury to my right leg around my knee while completing my first-ever marathon run on January 15. And that I aggravated the injury by not recognizing it and instead running much more, even participating in the Ocala Marathon on January 23 (and completing it largely through walking). Also, you would know that I am in the process of reinventing myself as a swimmer, studying and trying to imitate swimming instructor Terry McLaughlin's Total Immersion method. So how am I doing in mid-March with my running and swimming?
I have been cautiously going out on short runs, being attentive to the first signs of pain in my right knee. This past week has been very encouraging: at the YMCA workout room on Tuesday, I was able to run 4 miles on the treadmill with no pain. Then, on Thursday I ran 3.54 miles on the road around my neighborhood. Again, no pain. So tomorrow, I plan to increase the distance a little while being cognizant of that area of interest just below my right knee. But so far I am very happy with my recovery!
As for swimming, I have to take my "progress" with a liberal dose of humor. I keep looking at other swimmers at my YMCA pool and shake my head: over and over again, sickly, overweight elderly people limp and struggle to get to their lane and...once they're in the pool, they swim lap after lap after lap, you get the picture. Meanwhile, I am still in the shallow part of the pool swimming fractions of their laps and struggling with my breathing. But I have no intentions of giving up or taking the easy way out by using buoyancy devices, snorkels, or flippers. After all, I am still giving myself a great workout each time I get in the pool, even if I look and feel clumsy and inadequate as a swimmer.
So there you are. My ideal scenario has me alternating my swimming and running days while developing similar endurance capabilities in each. I intend...no, I INSIST that this will work!
I have been cautiously going out on short runs, being attentive to the first signs of pain in my right knee. This past week has been very encouraging: at the YMCA workout room on Tuesday, I was able to run 4 miles on the treadmill with no pain. Then, on Thursday I ran 3.54 miles on the road around my neighborhood. Again, no pain. So tomorrow, I plan to increase the distance a little while being cognizant of that area of interest just below my right knee. But so far I am very happy with my recovery!
As for swimming, I have to take my "progress" with a liberal dose of humor. I keep looking at other swimmers at my YMCA pool and shake my head: over and over again, sickly, overweight elderly people limp and struggle to get to their lane and...once they're in the pool, they swim lap after lap after lap, you get the picture. Meanwhile, I am still in the shallow part of the pool swimming fractions of their laps and struggling with my breathing. But I have no intentions of giving up or taking the easy way out by using buoyancy devices, snorkels, or flippers. After all, I am still giving myself a great workout each time I get in the pool, even if I look and feel clumsy and inadequate as a swimmer.
So there you are. My ideal scenario has me alternating my swimming and running days while developing similar endurance capabilities in each. I intend...no, I INSIST that this will work!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
NCAA Hoops Tourney Really Starts Today
The NCAA basketball championship tournament, for all practical purposes, begins today with its traditional 64-team field. This year four teams were added and played against four others a couple of days ago, officially creating an initial 68-team field. Why they did that, I don't know. But now we're back to that mathematically comforting sixth power of two, eventually to whittle down with each round of play to the supreme "zeroth" power of two at the end of the final championship game.
The Florida Gators are seeded #2 in the Southeast Region. They play #15 University of California/Santa Barbara tonight in what for all practical purposes is a home game at Tampa. They should win tonight and also the following game. But upsets happen, and that is one of the appeals of this tournament: things don't always turn out the way the "experts" predicted.
Florida State, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina all made the tournament this year. I root for them as long as they're not playing Florida. However, I am a little puzzled by Tennessee's inclusion in the tournament as I don't think they are all that good this year. Now watch them do well!
Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Alex Tyus, Vernon Macklin...the Gator starting five, they have a chance to go down in NCAA basketball history as another great championship lineup, next to the great teams of 2005-06 and 2006-07 featuring Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Joachim Noah, Lee Humphrey, and Taureen Green. Yes, they are good enough to win the whole tournament this year (although right now I think Kansas is the best team). Whether they will or not is another matter.
The Florida Gators are seeded #2 in the Southeast Region. They play #15 University of California/Santa Barbara tonight in what for all practical purposes is a home game at Tampa. They should win tonight and also the following game. But upsets happen, and that is one of the appeals of this tournament: things don't always turn out the way the "experts" predicted.
Florida State, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina all made the tournament this year. I root for them as long as they're not playing Florida. However, I am a little puzzled by Tennessee's inclusion in the tournament as I don't think they are all that good this year. Now watch them do well!
Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Alex Tyus, Vernon Macklin...the Gator starting five, they have a chance to go down in NCAA basketball history as another great championship lineup, next to the great teams of 2005-06 and 2006-07 featuring Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Joachim Noah, Lee Humphrey, and Taureen Green. Yes, they are good enough to win the whole tournament this year (although right now I think Kansas is the best team). Whether they will or not is another matter.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Governor Scott Nixes Strange High-Speed Rail Plan
Whenever my sister travels by car from her home near Dallas, Texas to my father's home near Miami, Florida, she spends a very long time within Florida. As a matter of fact, she thinks that most of this cross-country trip occurs within Florida's state boundaries! Which brings up an important point: Florida may not be the largest state, but for its size it has to be the most elongated state. This makes traveling from one end of the state to the other something of an ordeal. For those either living in south Florida or visiting it often, that highly-populated area can be seen as rather isolated from the rest of the state. For that reason, high-speed rail sounds like a reasonable way to connect that area to the rest of the state. And we just had a federally-funded plan for high-speed rail here in Florida. But...
The plan was for this to be America's first truly high-speed rail, destined for opening in 2015 and funded through federal stimulus money. But then teabagger Rick Scott came along and squeaked his way into the governor's seat in a very close election last November. And one of his first actions as governor was to reject federal funding for the project and scrap it outright. What a jerk, right? But...
The $2.6 billion-planned high-speed railway was to be built spanning two central Florida cities: Tampa and Orlando. Two cities that are only 84 miles apart! C'mon, I live in Gainesville and have no trouble driving the 100-plus miles to either city. And Miami, which is about 340 miles from my home? Well, south Florida hasn't had any political clout in Florida since Bob Graham left the Senate. Never mind that a Miami-Tampa or Miami-Orlando high-speed rail system would have closed the distance gap and been used much more heavily: it obviously would have entailed a greater financial investment, and we're supposed to do everything nowadays on a shoestring budget. So now we have nothing.
I have many problems with teabagger Scott being my governor, but the fact is that he is my governor. This is at least one decision he has made that I agree with, though. But his reasons may not have been my reasons. After all, I'm sure that he couldn't care less whether Miami ever got high-speed rail access to the rest of the state. For that matter, I'm not sure that he could care less if Miami just slid into the sea...
The plan was for this to be America's first truly high-speed rail, destined for opening in 2015 and funded through federal stimulus money. But then teabagger Rick Scott came along and squeaked his way into the governor's seat in a very close election last November. And one of his first actions as governor was to reject federal funding for the project and scrap it outright. What a jerk, right? But...
The $2.6 billion-planned high-speed railway was to be built spanning two central Florida cities: Tampa and Orlando. Two cities that are only 84 miles apart! C'mon, I live in Gainesville and have no trouble driving the 100-plus miles to either city. And Miami, which is about 340 miles from my home? Well, south Florida hasn't had any political clout in Florida since Bob Graham left the Senate. Never mind that a Miami-Tampa or Miami-Orlando high-speed rail system would have closed the distance gap and been used much more heavily: it obviously would have entailed a greater financial investment, and we're supposed to do everything nowadays on a shoestring budget. So now we have nothing.
I have many problems with teabagger Scott being my governor, but the fact is that he is my governor. This is at least one decision he has made that I agree with, though. But his reasons may not have been my reasons. After all, I'm sure that he couldn't care less whether Miami ever got high-speed rail access to the rest of the state. For that matter, I'm not sure that he could care less if Miami just slid into the sea...
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Voting Day in Gainesville
Today was election day in Gainesville for three city commission seats. I got to vote in two of them. When one considers how important these posts are by the fact that the commission decides how much they will tax the citizens and then how that revenue is distributed, it always amazes me how few people actually vote in these elections. That's sad because a low turnout often translates into a fringe candidate with extremist views and a zealous following being elected. Let's hope that doesn't happen today!
...Later that night....
No extremists won tonight, although the voting turnout was a disgrace at 14.9% of registered voters. One of my candidates (an incumbent) won without a runoff, and the other two races will be decided on April 12. I shudder to think what the turnout will be then!
...Later that night....
No extremists won tonight, although the voting turnout was a disgrace at 14.9% of registered voters. One of my candidates (an incumbent) won without a runoff, and the other two races will be decided on April 12. I shudder to think what the turnout will be then!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
My Local Starbucks Hangout
Here is a shot from the inside of the Starbucks I usually frequent the most, from my vantage point seated way, way, back at the end of a section. This store is very popular, and the people working here are pretty friendly (well, almost all of them are). They do seem to have a problem with their storage capacity because they tend to pile up a lot of boxed-up inventory around the customers' seating area, sometimes taking up a couple of tables. But I can live with that as long as I can find somewhere to sit. I've noticed that at the busiest time, on weekend mornings, I never have trouble finding a free table. But then again, most of the customers are doing take-out then, on their way to work or school. My most difficult time at this Starbucks is on Saturday afternoons, when as a general rule I can't find an empty place to sit. But I'm happy that they're doing so well, since this SHOULD mean that the mother company won't close them down as a corporate loss (as they did recently with some of their other stores).
I began coming here right after it opened in the summer of 2000. I don't think that there is any other single coffee establishment that I have patronized regularly for so long a time.
I have been to other non-Starbucks coffee shops across town over the years, but it has generally been Starbucks who seems to understand the importance of a smiling, friendly, and welcoming attitude on the part of its workers to the customer. Frankly, that should be a no-brainer, but it never fails to astonish me how poorly employees treat customers in the locally-owned mom-and-pop businesses I go to. So why go there? Screw them, just because they're local that doesn't mean that they are entitled to my money. When I experience coldness and frowning faces, I conclude that maybe they really don't think my money is important, anyway. So I'll just spend it instead where employees show some good-old fashioned professionalism. If the locals want to compete with this mega-corporation for my dollars, then they can grow some brains and learn to be friendly to me when I walk in the door to do business with them!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Obama Puzzling on Libya
I can't help but think that our president, whom I have supported in the past, is completely out of touch with the situation in Libya. Completely out of touch particularly regarding his appropriate role as leader of the United States, its role in the world, and how we should confront crises that involve mass slaughters still occurring in the 21st century. Does Obama really think that freezing Gadhafi's assets and imposing sanctions on Libya will make that tyrant decide to step down and hand over power to the opposition? Does he really think that trying to align U.S. policy toward Libya with what he terms "the international community" (whatever that's supposed to be) won't be interpreted by Gadhafi (and the rest of our adversaries worldwide, for that matter) as weak and faltering? Does he really think that by simply stating that Gadhafi should realize that he is "on the wrong side of history", then this brutal dictator will say, "Aw shucks, you got me, I quit"?
President Obama's press conference yesterday frightened me a little by his matter-of-fact, business-as-usual demeanor toward urgent matters like Libya's civil war. Libya is an important country whose citizens are rising up against a brutal, corrupt autocrat who has instigated terrorism against the U.S. and its allies while treating fellow Libyans as his own personal, private property to control and toy around with (and even kill) as he pleases. Why should America wait around for other countries, who most likely are taking their cue for action from Obama? If this isn't grounds for some kind of intervention, then what is? But instead, when we should have been hearing a strongly worded set of demands from the president to Gadhafi, all we get is an aloof, emotionally detached lecture. And the dictator continues to feel free to massacre his own people with impunity.
If Gadhafi prevails in this civil war with our president sitting on his hands, I predict that Obama will NOT be reelected. For this show of lack of will would start a chain of aggressive behavior on the part of other adversaries. Frankly, I am beginning to have second thoughts myself about Mr. Obama as my president. But I guess you probably already figured that out. Question is, which of the other turkeys now in the running would I vote for? Sigh...
President Obama's press conference yesterday frightened me a little by his matter-of-fact, business-as-usual demeanor toward urgent matters like Libya's civil war. Libya is an important country whose citizens are rising up against a brutal, corrupt autocrat who has instigated terrorism against the U.S. and its allies while treating fellow Libyans as his own personal, private property to control and toy around with (and even kill) as he pleases. Why should America wait around for other countries, who most likely are taking their cue for action from Obama? If this isn't grounds for some kind of intervention, then what is? But instead, when we should have been hearing a strongly worded set of demands from the president to Gadhafi, all we get is an aloof, emotionally detached lecture. And the dictator continues to feel free to massacre his own people with impunity.
If Gadhafi prevails in this civil war with our president sitting on his hands, I predict that Obama will NOT be reelected. For this show of lack of will would start a chain of aggressive behavior on the part of other adversaries. Frankly, I am beginning to have second thoughts myself about Mr. Obama as my president. But I guess you probably already figured that out. Question is, which of the other turkeys now in the running would I vote for? Sigh...
Friday, March 11, 2011
Quake Makes Me Wake
I had a full day yesterday; normally I check out my kitchen and snack a bit after I get home from work, usually around 11:30 PM. But last night I skipped stuffing my mouth with food and promptly passed out moments after slipping into my recliner. About 1:30, my son, who is on spring break from college, came into the room and woke me up, telling me that there was a breaking news story that I might be interested in. I know that Will was, as he had just spent some time last summer traveling through Japan and is learning the Japanese language.
The massive, 8.9 level earthquake just off the east coast of northern Honshu island, occurring at around 1 AM EST, was devastating enough for those immediately affected. But although there sadly were casualties and much damage from this disaster, it would have been much worse had this nation not prepared for earthquake contingencies through strict building codes, civil engineering, and disaster preparation. Quite a contrast to countries like Haiti or Pakistan!
This is obviously going to be a headline-grabbing news story for some time to come, even after the last tsunami threat from this earthquake to Hawaii and the U.S. west coast has been long forgotten. It will be interesting to see how Japanese society works together to recover. Maybe some of those other countries should be taking notes (as well as the United States with its Katrina debacle)!
The massive, 8.9 level earthquake just off the east coast of northern Honshu island, occurring at around 1 AM EST, was devastating enough for those immediately affected. But although there sadly were casualties and much damage from this disaster, it would have been much worse had this nation not prepared for earthquake contingencies through strict building codes, civil engineering, and disaster preparation. Quite a contrast to countries like Haiti or Pakistan!
This is obviously going to be a headline-grabbing news story for some time to come, even after the last tsunami threat from this earthquake to Hawaii and the U.S. west coast has been long forgotten. It will be interesting to see how Japanese society works together to recover. Maybe some of those other countries should be taking notes (as well as the United States with its Katrina debacle)!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Charlie S's Personality
Extreme personality types like Charlie Sheen are almost like a drug in our society. The reason some people like to watch his rambling, manic, and almost incoherent interviews is that it gives them a sense of superiority and security to know that, at least, THEY'RE not that screwed up! Truth be told, though, I think a lot of it also has to do with the fact that many of us identify with Mr. Sheen; but through our own life experiences and conditioning we have learned to control how we express ourselves, knowing that only trouble could result in our lives if we didn't.
Egomaniacs and paranoids go hand in hand and may even be seen as flip sides to the same personalities in one individual. The common thread is an almost solipsist mentality: that one, while not being the universe itself, is at least the obvious focus of everything. When an egomaniac or a paranoid walks into a room where others are present, both presume that they are the automatic focus of everyone's attention. With one, the personal reaction is positive; with the other, it is negative. With Charlie Sheen, he seems to simultaneously take on both roles. He speaks as if he already knows the thoughts of those talking with him before they say anything. And by the way, there's no point in moving the conversation toward asking how anyone else is doing: there's only one person who counts!
My life, from time to time, has been cursed with people who have decided, like Charlie Sheen, that their personal narratives and opinions are the only thing that matters. Consequently, the only sustainable (but unsuitable) way I can interact with them is by nodding in agreement and offering terse affirmative interjections. I say terse because with these types it is difficult for me to even get a coherent phrase into the conversation, much less a complete sentence. And if I should accidentally let it slip out that I actually DISAGREE with any element of their idiosyncratic worldview... no matter how respectfully I express that disagreement...then they see that as a personal insult to them!
I see some tendencies of this narcissistic personality type within myself, unfortunately. But having experienced unrestrained behavior of the sort from others with makeups similar to Sheen, I have learned how offensive and demeaning openly expressing it can be, so I consciously try to avoid it. Instead, I deliberately look for things in others' lives that I feel they are interested in themselves and about which I feel enough interest to use as conversational themes, with me trying to be a good listener. Too bad Charlie and his types in my life never seemed to learn that. It reminds me of a line in Max Ehrmann's Desiderata:
Avoid loud and aggressive persons: they are vexatious to the spirit.
Egomaniacs and paranoids go hand in hand and may even be seen as flip sides to the same personalities in one individual. The common thread is an almost solipsist mentality: that one, while not being the universe itself, is at least the obvious focus of everything. When an egomaniac or a paranoid walks into a room where others are present, both presume that they are the automatic focus of everyone's attention. With one, the personal reaction is positive; with the other, it is negative. With Charlie Sheen, he seems to simultaneously take on both roles. He speaks as if he already knows the thoughts of those talking with him before they say anything. And by the way, there's no point in moving the conversation toward asking how anyone else is doing: there's only one person who counts!
My life, from time to time, has been cursed with people who have decided, like Charlie Sheen, that their personal narratives and opinions are the only thing that matters. Consequently, the only sustainable (but unsuitable) way I can interact with them is by nodding in agreement and offering terse affirmative interjections. I say terse because with these types it is difficult for me to even get a coherent phrase into the conversation, much less a complete sentence. And if I should accidentally let it slip out that I actually DISAGREE with any element of their idiosyncratic worldview... no matter how respectfully I express that disagreement...then they see that as a personal insult to them!
I see some tendencies of this narcissistic personality type within myself, unfortunately. But having experienced unrestrained behavior of the sort from others with makeups similar to Sheen, I have learned how offensive and demeaning openly expressing it can be, so I consciously try to avoid it. Instead, I deliberately look for things in others' lives that I feel they are interested in themselves and about which I feel enough interest to use as conversational themes, with me trying to be a good listener. Too bad Charlie and his types in my life never seemed to learn that. It reminds me of a line in Max Ehrmann's Desiderata:
Avoid loud and aggressive persons: they are vexatious to the spirit.
Monday, March 7, 2011
My Promising Return to Running
Yesterday I went to my local YMCA workout room to lift weights, do crunches and exercise on the elliptical cross-trainer machine. I spent about 39 minutes on the cross-trainer and performed 13 sets on the various weight equipment. Then I decided to see what would happen on the treadmill.
I had last previously run last Wednesday, a 1.25 trot around the two blocks surrounding my house. No knee pain then. Yesterday I tried the treadmill, setting it at a 9:40/mile pace with no incline. After 2.5 miles I stopped, with NO pain. What great news! This was the longest I had run since the painful Ocala Marathon this past January 23, so the healing of my IT band seems to be working quite well so far.
I plan on another run a few days from now, probably on Friday or Saturday. Maybe I'll run around my neighborhood and see if I can't step up the distance to 3 miles.
Still, I don't see more marathon runs in my future. Also, I need some new running shoes. As I continue make my recovery from the IT band injury, I need to go down to Tioga (west of Gainesville) and check out the running supply store there. I understand they analyze your feet according to your foot placement and arching and have shoes that can help to curtail future injuries. We'll see...
I had last previously run last Wednesday, a 1.25 trot around the two blocks surrounding my house. No knee pain then. Yesterday I tried the treadmill, setting it at a 9:40/mile pace with no incline. After 2.5 miles I stopped, with NO pain. What great news! This was the longest I had run since the painful Ocala Marathon this past January 23, so the healing of my IT band seems to be working quite well so far.
I plan on another run a few days from now, probably on Friday or Saturday. Maybe I'll run around my neighborhood and see if I can't step up the distance to 3 miles.
Still, I don't see more marathon runs in my future. Also, I need some new running shoes. As I continue make my recovery from the IT band injury, I need to go down to Tioga (west of Gainesville) and check out the running supply store there. I understand they analyze your feet according to your foot placement and arching and have shoes that can help to curtail future injuries. We'll see...
Sunday, March 6, 2011
NBA Comments
I cannot believe that those running the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz have taken leave of their senses and traded their franchise player, star point guard Deron Williams away to the New Jersey Nets, especially when the team is desperately fighting for a final eighth place playoff spot in the Western Conference against several other teams. Williams was the one reason I ever rooted for Utah, so that franchise can kiss my allegiance goodbye. And perhaps that's just as well...any state where the majority population regards drinking coffee as sinful behavior, well...
Besides, I have traditionally been a Phoenix Suns fan, also because of their star point guard, in this case Steve Nash. Yes, Phoenix does lie in Arizona, another state with, in my opinion, serious attitude problems. So you can bet that if Nash, who has loudly expressed his vehement opposition to Arizona's recent reactionary anti-Latino politics, ever leaves that franchise it will also go the way of the Jazz into my "non-support" category. But for now, Nash is still there and, thanks to Utah's incredible throwaway of Williams, the Suns have climbed ahead of the Jazz in the standings to be only one spot away from a playoff position.
With Deron Williams now with the Nets, I am now a New Jersey fan. That's the way I generally am with basketball: I tend to follow players and THEN the teams they play for. That's why I won't root for the Miami Heat (with quitter Lebron James) but instead tend to support the Boston Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs with their retinues of talented and gutsy team-oriented players.
Besides, I have traditionally been a Phoenix Suns fan, also because of their star point guard, in this case Steve Nash. Yes, Phoenix does lie in Arizona, another state with, in my opinion, serious attitude problems. So you can bet that if Nash, who has loudly expressed his vehement opposition to Arizona's recent reactionary anti-Latino politics, ever leaves that franchise it will also go the way of the Jazz into my "non-support" category. But for now, Nash is still there and, thanks to Utah's incredible throwaway of Williams, the Suns have climbed ahead of the Jazz in the standings to be only one spot away from a playoff position.
With Deron Williams now with the Nets, I am now a New Jersey fan. That's the way I generally am with basketball: I tend to follow players and THEN the teams they play for. That's why I won't root for the Miami Heat (with quitter Lebron James) but instead tend to support the Boston Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs with their retinues of talented and gutsy team-oriented players.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
More on Arab Unrest in Middle East
Massive anti-government protests in many Arab nations have either toppled regimes (Tunisia, Egypt), turned into a bloody civil war (Libya), are in progress with mass demonstrations (Bahrain, Yemen), or are being desperately forestalled by government through hasty reform measures (Saudi Arabia). In all countries, one common thread unites them: the political leadership has been closed off to the general population for decades, both in terms of them being able to pick their leaders and of those leaders having to be held accountable for their decisions. In the USA, popular sentiment is with the people although most of the challenged authorities have friendly relations with America. This country is also heavily dependent on foreign oil, supplies of which are being threatened in countries like Libya, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. However...
I have heard the argument promoted by advocates for off-shore drilling (either off Florida, Virginia, or California) and in northern Alaska that "home-grown" oil will make us independent of those other unstable and often unfriendly oil producing nations and keep the prices down. While it is true that with more domestically produced petroleum we would at least be better protected from a complete shutdown of our oil supply (an unlikely possibility considering the diversity of petroleum sources across the world), the actual price of oil would still be based on world market standards and would be reflective of the overall price worldwide. Better to keep pushing hard for alternatives to petroleum for meeting our energy demands.
In Libya, the most bloodied nation among these uprisings, the entrenched leadership there has resorted to terrorism and war to keep their hold on power. Gadhafi is one of those deplorable people on this planet who, seeing himself as a leader of people, in term regards those people as his property instead of regarding himself as their servant. Since he doesn't seem capable of understanding that "his" people despise him, it looks as if he will only be toppled through force of arms, sad to say, with many having to sacrifice themselves to achieve this.
I have heard the argument promoted by advocates for off-shore drilling (either off Florida, Virginia, or California) and in northern Alaska that "home-grown" oil will make us independent of those other unstable and often unfriendly oil producing nations and keep the prices down. While it is true that with more domestically produced petroleum we would at least be better protected from a complete shutdown of our oil supply (an unlikely possibility considering the diversity of petroleum sources across the world), the actual price of oil would still be based on world market standards and would be reflective of the overall price worldwide. Better to keep pushing hard for alternatives to petroleum for meeting our energy demands.
In Libya, the most bloodied nation among these uprisings, the entrenched leadership there has resorted to terrorism and war to keep their hold on power. Gadhafi is one of those deplorable people on this planet who, seeing himself as a leader of people, in term regards those people as his property instead of regarding himself as their servant. Since he doesn't seem capable of understanding that "his" people despise him, it looks as if he will only be toppled through force of arms, sad to say, with many having to sacrifice themselves to achieve this.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wildfires Proliferating in Florida
It looks as if we in Florida are in for a rather severe stretch for the next couple of months, with wildfires proliferating throughout the state. This year's rate is much higher than last year's, due largely to the scarcity of rain, low humidity, and high winds. A formula for disaster, as I recall, that led to the scary 1998 fire season with its firestorms and even a county-wide evacuation (Flagler). My home Alachua county has not been spared, with several fires flaring up over the past few days. Nothing has approached the city of Gainesville itself, though. Yet.
I don't consider my home neighborhood at much of a risk of being inundated by a fire, but the smoke-laden air from fires even more than a hundred miles away can be almost unbearable to breathe if the wind is blowing the wrong way. For me, that would screw up a lot of my outdoors fitness activities, effectively driving me indoors. For others, especially those with breathing infirmities, it could cause much more serious problems.
Let's hope we get some precipitation, humidity, and calmer winds. And also that some bonehead won't start an uncontrollable fire with careless and illegal burning!
I don't consider my home neighborhood at much of a risk of being inundated by a fire, but the smoke-laden air from fires even more than a hundred miles away can be almost unbearable to breathe if the wind is blowing the wrong way. For me, that would screw up a lot of my outdoors fitness activities, effectively driving me indoors. For others, especially those with breathing infirmities, it could cause much more serious problems.
Let's hope we get some precipitation, humidity, and calmer winds. And also that some bonehead won't start an uncontrollable fire with careless and illegal burning!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Brats and Bouncers
Lately at my local YMCA swimming pool, as the temperatures have climbed, so has the pool population density. Good for the YMCA, bad for me...
I keep thinking back to that South Park episode that features spoiled brat Eric Cartman trying to avoid the throng of little kids while going to the public swimming pool. His gripe was that they tended to pee in the water; my gripe with them is that they just get in my way. So they really aren't any different from the elderly ladies who go there for water aerobics, an activity that basically involves bouncing up and down in the water (thus I call them "bouncers").
I am trying to build up my swimming endurance to the point where I can just use the 25-meter lanes and completely avoid the shallow section. I may not be quite ready for the lanes yet, but I might just have to go ahead and take the "plunge". For I have had it with the brats and the bouncers.
Sunday afternoon: little kids all over the place. For someone who just wants to swim in a straight line and come back in the shallow end, trying to avoid them can become an exercise in futility. Monday was a different story: I went to the pool at 11 AM on a school day, thinking that I would avoid any hassles with the kids being at school. Wrong. Renegade bouncers (without a structured water aerobics class) were spread out throughout the shallow part, taking up way too much of the pool. I managed to find one little section that I thought I could swim back and forth in, but these ladies seemed to take a perverse sort of pleasure in drifting directly into my path. Finally, after only 20 laps I gave up and left the pool.
Maybe all is for the better anyway, if I want to become an endurance swimmer. I know I can physically handle the longer laps; my hangup is more psychological and simply won't be overcome without pushing through and gaining positive-reinforcing experiences. So either tomorrow or Friday I'll start those longer laps, which run through the pool's deep section. Hey, they've always got a lifeguard, hopefully prepared to pull my drowning ass out of the water!
I keep thinking back to that South Park episode that features spoiled brat Eric Cartman trying to avoid the throng of little kids while going to the public swimming pool. His gripe was that they tended to pee in the water; my gripe with them is that they just get in my way. So they really aren't any different from the elderly ladies who go there for water aerobics, an activity that basically involves bouncing up and down in the water (thus I call them "bouncers").
I am trying to build up my swimming endurance to the point where I can just use the 25-meter lanes and completely avoid the shallow section. I may not be quite ready for the lanes yet, but I might just have to go ahead and take the "plunge". For I have had it with the brats and the bouncers.
Sunday afternoon: little kids all over the place. For someone who just wants to swim in a straight line and come back in the shallow end, trying to avoid them can become an exercise in futility. Monday was a different story: I went to the pool at 11 AM on a school day, thinking that I would avoid any hassles with the kids being at school. Wrong. Renegade bouncers (without a structured water aerobics class) were spread out throughout the shallow part, taking up way too much of the pool. I managed to find one little section that I thought I could swim back and forth in, but these ladies seemed to take a perverse sort of pleasure in drifting directly into my path. Finally, after only 20 laps I gave up and left the pool.
Maybe all is for the better anyway, if I want to become an endurance swimmer. I know I can physically handle the longer laps; my hangup is more psychological and simply won't be overcome without pushing through and gaining positive-reinforcing experiences. So either tomorrow or Friday I'll start those longer laps, which run through the pool's deep section. Hey, they've always got a lifeguard, hopefully prepared to pull my drowning ass out of the water!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Early Spring and Allergies For Me
Yesterday the unusually early and warm spring here in northern Florida hit me with full force. The previous day I spent two hours outside cutting down overgrown branches from trees around my yard. That in itself wasn't very helpful to my pollen allergies. Then yesterday I went out on a bicycle ride around the far northern part of Gainesville. The wind was a brutal 25 mph coming out of the south and the temperatures were climbing into the eighties on this, the last day of February. I finished my quite unpleasant ride after 73 minutes, but I'm afraid the effects went on much longer. I had since been suffering from all of the symptoms of the allergies I have undergone in previous years, in particular the nasal congestion, sneezing, and very dry, red eyes.
I don't remember having severe allergies like this last year, but then again back then in mid-February we were still experiencing temperatures dipping down to freezing. I used to take Zyrtec to help with the symptoms, but that made me annoyingly drowsy and I switched to Claritin, a less effective remedy but one with which I can function more effectively. Hopefully, these allergies will lift soon and I can enjoy life a little more. But I don't plan to stop doing what I usually do in spite of them.
I don't remember having severe allergies like this last year, but then again back then in mid-February we were still experiencing temperatures dipping down to freezing. I used to take Zyrtec to help with the symptoms, but that made me annoyingly drowsy and I switched to Claritin, a less effective remedy but one with which I can function more effectively. Hopefully, these allergies will lift soon and I can enjoy life a little more. But I don't plan to stop doing what I usually do in spite of them.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Great Florida Birding Trail...Trail?
This is a sign going west on NW 39th Avenue here in Gainesville. It appears to be pointing directly at the adjacent cemetery, but I think it was meant for NW 43rd Street, at the next traffic light. But if you think that the Great Florida Birding Trail runs along that street, then you are sadly mistaken. For the Great Florida Birding Trail, it turns out, is not really a trail at all. It mystically appears at various locations throughout the state wherever the state park service has concluded that birds hang out. The "trail" part is within park boundaries; to get there, forget hiking!
Here is the website for the Great Florida Birding Trail. For all practical purposes, it is just a repackaged presentation of Florida's state park system. And yes, I guess birds fit into it, sure. But it's not exactly as if the state of Florida issued a decree to birds to tell them to hang out there! Birds are wild creatures and live everywhere. I observe and hear several different species of wild birds whenever I walk around my block. I doubt that they are all that different from those I would encounter at Devil's Millhopper a couple of miles down the road (and the actual target for the above-pictured sign). Yeah, I bet the same sorts of birds even congregate at that cemetery!
Instead of burning up gasoline traveling to parks just to see birds, why not just look around you where you live and get to know the amazing diversity of wild avian life thriving there, smack dab in the midst of (God forbid) HUMANITY. On the other hand, these parks all have their own features that may draw visitors. But just to see birds on the Great Florida Birding "Trail"? Oh, please...
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Curious About Kakuro
Kakuro has been my favorite puzzle for more than three years. Also known as "cross sums", it resembles more a crossword puzzle than its more popular cousin sudoku, only of course with numerals (a 1-9 range like sudoku) instead of letters filling in the boxes. But I find that kakuro exercises my logical faculties more than sudoku, and I have gotten quite good at it with my focus on the more difficult puzzles found in books like Mensa Kakuro, Black Belt Kakuro, and Kakuro Challenge.
Just three books with tough kakuro games. When I am in a large bookstore like Barnes and Nobles or the soon-to-be-defunct Borders, I see shelf after shelf of sudoku puzzles but only a handful of kakuro books. Why? Is there something wrong with kakuro that makes people want to avoid it? Or maybe there is only a relatively small, finite number of puzzles that can be constructed...
Ha, that last notion is ridiculous, so it must be that people either find kakuro to be too easy, too difficult, or just plain boring. Or maybe it's similar to indie/alternative music not being played on broadcast radio: the corporate-powers-that-be just don't see its potential popularity and simply won't promote it.
All I really know is that now I have exhausted all of the available books providing more advanced-level kakuro puzzles. Now I have to wait for each Thursday when my newspaper Gainesville Sun publishes their excellent, albeit small, kakuro puzzle. Not enough!
By the way, my blog spell-check recognizes "sudoku" as a word but not "kakuro". Corporate power Google. There you go.
Just three books with tough kakuro games. When I am in a large bookstore like Barnes and Nobles or the soon-to-be-defunct Borders, I see shelf after shelf of sudoku puzzles but only a handful of kakuro books. Why? Is there something wrong with kakuro that makes people want to avoid it? Or maybe there is only a relatively small, finite number of puzzles that can be constructed...
Ha, that last notion is ridiculous, so it must be that people either find kakuro to be too easy, too difficult, or just plain boring. Or maybe it's similar to indie/alternative music not being played on broadcast radio: the corporate-powers-that-be just don't see its potential popularity and simply won't promote it.
All I really know is that now I have exhausted all of the available books providing more advanced-level kakuro puzzles. Now I have to wait for each Thursday when my newspaper Gainesville Sun publishes their excellent, albeit small, kakuro puzzle. Not enough!
By the way, my blog spell-check recognizes "sudoku" as a word but not "kakuro". Corporate power Google. There you go.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Karno's Jr High Track Coach...and Life
In his book Ultramarathon Man, extreme endurance runner Dean "Karno" Karnazes gives a brief summary of his growing years, featuring some people who influenced him. Prominent among them was Karno's junior high track coach Jack McTavish, an ex-servicemen and a stickler for discipline and toughness. He had a philosophy about running races, no matter how long the distance. Start out running hard, and run hard throughout the race. Pacing is for chumps. And at the end of the race, if it doesn't hurt like hell, then you didn't try hard enough. Hmmm...
In the eighth grade, we had a brief (to me, much too brief) period in our physical education class when we ran around the track. I don't even think we would had have that opportunity had it not been for substitute teacher Coach Anderson, a running fanatic and general hard-ass on the order of McTavish. I remember Anderson giving us all a short inspirational lecture, accompanied by having us all do a 600 yard run around the track (that was then a long distance run to most of us). Being completely ignorant of the concept of pacing, I shot out at the start of the race and left everyone behind. Just like McTavish. Then I gutted it out throughout the run and won it. Painfully. Like McTavish. So that dude definitely had something going there with his philosophy on running.
But I think this goes much further in application than running. I have lately been getting myself up and active early each day and pushing myself until late at night, when I am completely exhausted. No, I am not in pain doing this, but in a sense it does hurt to stretch myself this way, deliberately placing myself out of my comfort zone.
I began pushing myself more after I had been sidelined from running due to a pulled tendon in my leg. When I went back to read passages from Ultramarathon Man, I saw broader life applications to Karno's way of thinking. And starting out strong and pushing myself hard throughout the day, no matter what I am involved in, is the main lesson I've picked up.
In the eighth grade, we had a brief (to me, much too brief) period in our physical education class when we ran around the track. I don't even think we would had have that opportunity had it not been for substitute teacher Coach Anderson, a running fanatic and general hard-ass on the order of McTavish. I remember Anderson giving us all a short inspirational lecture, accompanied by having us all do a 600 yard run around the track (that was then a long distance run to most of us). Being completely ignorant of the concept of pacing, I shot out at the start of the race and left everyone behind. Just like McTavish. Then I gutted it out throughout the run and won it. Painfully. Like McTavish. So that dude definitely had something going there with his philosophy on running.
But I think this goes much further in application than running. I have lately been getting myself up and active early each day and pushing myself until late at night, when I am completely exhausted. No, I am not in pain doing this, but in a sense it does hurt to stretch myself this way, deliberately placing myself out of my comfort zone.
I began pushing myself more after I had been sidelined from running due to a pulled tendon in my leg. When I went back to read passages from Ultramarathon Man, I saw broader life applications to Karno's way of thinking. And starting out strong and pushing myself hard throughout the day, no matter what I am involved in, is the main lesson I've picked up.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Blockbuster Close-Out Sale Brings Out Types
Yesterday, the two remaining Blockbuster movie/game rental stores in Gainesville began their week-long close-out sale before they close their doors for the last time. Movies were going pretty cheap, so I took my son over to the closest one, arriving about five minutes after the sale began. Already the parking lot was packed; inside it were wall-to-wall people scavenging for previously "rental" DVDs. I looked around in disbelief: customers were walking around carrying massive stacks of DVDs that they intended to buy. One woman had filled a baby stroller with hers! I wondered to myself where these people were going to find the time to watch all of the movies they were buying. And anyway, most of them are available on television if you just have the patience to wait until one of the many movie channels puts them on their lineups. I concluded that sales like this, such as the semiannual Friends of the Library used book sale, bring out the hoarders and scavengers in our community. And another less pleasant type as well.
As I drove down to the sale, I reached the last traffic light before the Blockbuster store. I pulled into the right turn lane. The light was red and I was second in a line of cars. The car in front was stopped, looking for an opening in the passing traffic to make a turn. Suddenly, the driver behind me began to sit on his horn to make the front car go. He had no view of the traffic himself, but was obviously in a big hurry and not concerned about complicating factors (such as simple reality). Finally, the lead car turned and I was in front, with the light still red (in Florida, you can turn right on red if it's clear unless otherwise specified). I decided that I had enough of this jerk and just sat there, though, and waited for the light to turn green for me. This totally infuriated the man-in-a-hurry and he blasted his horn nonstop. When I finally did turn, he quickly veered past me on my left, still sounding his horn at me. I drove on to Blockbuster.
I went around to the back of the store and parked. When we walked around the corner to the front of the store, we saw how crowded the parking lot was...and that honking dude's car was just pulling in! Evidently, he had wanted to get to Blockbuster when it opened and had been delayed, consequently subjecting anyone in his path to his wrath. So yes, there was a third type there at Blockbuster's: the irrationally panicky impatient.
I'm sorry to see the demise of video rental stores. I know that one can order movies now through the mail or directly from the Internet. Fine. But it takes away the enjoyment from simply browsing through the video store, allowing an interesting title here or there to capture one's attention and curiosity. Now that resource is disappearing. I'm afraid that bookstores are next: Borders is closing 200 stores, including the one in Gainesville, complete with its own clearance sale...
Hoarders, scavengers, and irrationally impatient: CONVERGE!
Everyone else: GET OUT OF THEIR WAY!
As I drove down to the sale, I reached the last traffic light before the Blockbuster store. I pulled into the right turn lane. The light was red and I was second in a line of cars. The car in front was stopped, looking for an opening in the passing traffic to make a turn. Suddenly, the driver behind me began to sit on his horn to make the front car go. He had no view of the traffic himself, but was obviously in a big hurry and not concerned about complicating factors (such as simple reality). Finally, the lead car turned and I was in front, with the light still red (in Florida, you can turn right on red if it's clear unless otherwise specified). I decided that I had enough of this jerk and just sat there, though, and waited for the light to turn green for me. This totally infuriated the man-in-a-hurry and he blasted his horn nonstop. When I finally did turn, he quickly veered past me on my left, still sounding his horn at me. I drove on to Blockbuster.
I went around to the back of the store and parked. When we walked around the corner to the front of the store, we saw how crowded the parking lot was...and that honking dude's car was just pulling in! Evidently, he had wanted to get to Blockbuster when it opened and had been delayed, consequently subjecting anyone in his path to his wrath. So yes, there was a third type there at Blockbuster's: the irrationally panicky impatient.
I'm sorry to see the demise of video rental stores. I know that one can order movies now through the mail or directly from the Internet. Fine. But it takes away the enjoyment from simply browsing through the video store, allowing an interesting title here or there to capture one's attention and curiosity. Now that resource is disappearing. I'm afraid that bookstores are next: Borders is closing 200 stores, including the one in Gainesville, complete with its own clearance sale...
Hoarders, scavengers, and irrationally impatient: CONVERGE!
Everyone else: GET OUT OF THEIR WAY!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Does Democracy Motivate Arab Protesters?
When I hear about all of the anti-government demonstrations going on throughout Arabic-speaking autocracies in the Middle East, I cringe a little when I hear in the press that they are pro-democracy protests. I cringe even more when I witness a supposedly professionally ethical, objective journalist in the midst of one such crowd of demonstrators, encouraging and egging them on. After all, I'm looking at what's happening in my own country and...
Even with the civics curriculum supposedly having been taught to children during their school days (in whatever form or designation it was presented), there seems to be a growing tendency in America for the losing side in elections to (1) cry foul, the election was stolen (2000, 2004 Bush wins), (2) cry foul, the candidate was ineligible (2008 Obama and the "birthers"), (3) cry foul, the winning candidate duped the voters into voting for him or her and thus is somehow not to be truly respected as the winner, and/or (4) cry foul, the process itself has been tainted by special interests who control the political parties and media. So, without even a smidgen of an educational background that would teach people that in a democracy, losers need to respect the winners as their legitimately chosen leaders, how in the world can we expect those continually pouring out into the streets in places like Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, or Bahrain to be putting their lives on the line "for democracy"?
I think that the people in these lands have different reasons for rising up against their governments. Not having another rational means to address their many grievances is the obvious motivation, but just having crossed a threshold of momentum with the magnitude of the demonstrations has emboldened anyone with an axe to grind about anything to protest. And that includes the many in these lands who believe that the state has been too secular and not respectful of their religion. Many of these want a theocracy, not a democracy.
Those demonstrating also include, probably to a higher extent, those whose past, present, and foreseeable futures are mired in poverty as they see their corrupt leaders siphoning off their nations' wealth for their own personal gain. A socialist state may be more to their liking, whether or not democratic institutions accompany it.
Democracy is a fragile and sophisticated institution that requires a certain ability among the population to accept others with differing points of view. But from what I have witnessed so far, there is too much of a "We: Good Guys...Them: Bad Guys...Make Bad Guys Disappear" atmosphere among those pushing for change for any sustainable, workable democracy to gain traction in these countries. Yet. But I don't decry anyone for trying. Still, journalists and the media need to step back and consider the diversity of motives involved here in these protests.
Also, for a true democracy to work to any effective degree, there has to be a judicial system that is generally respected by the population and which is not thought of as being simply the tool of whomever happens to be in power. And the military has to have a strong sense of duty as an institution subordinate to the duly elected powers, not a power unto itself to determine policy (or even if elected civilian leaders stay or go). These countries have a long, long way to go, I'm afraid.
Of course I hope that I'm wrong about things and that all of these countries that are currently in turmoil can transform themselves into societies within which the government serves the people and allows itself to be regularly held accountable, through free elections (implying a concomitant free press) and an independent judiciary. But that seems to be asking for an awful lot, awfully soon.
Even with the civics curriculum supposedly having been taught to children during their school days (in whatever form or designation it was presented), there seems to be a growing tendency in America for the losing side in elections to (1) cry foul, the election was stolen (2000, 2004 Bush wins), (2) cry foul, the candidate was ineligible (2008 Obama and the "birthers"), (3) cry foul, the winning candidate duped the voters into voting for him or her and thus is somehow not to be truly respected as the winner, and/or (4) cry foul, the process itself has been tainted by special interests who control the political parties and media. So, without even a smidgen of an educational background that would teach people that in a democracy, losers need to respect the winners as their legitimately chosen leaders, how in the world can we expect those continually pouring out into the streets in places like Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, or Bahrain to be putting their lives on the line "for democracy"?
I think that the people in these lands have different reasons for rising up against their governments. Not having another rational means to address their many grievances is the obvious motivation, but just having crossed a threshold of momentum with the magnitude of the demonstrations has emboldened anyone with an axe to grind about anything to protest. And that includes the many in these lands who believe that the state has been too secular and not respectful of their religion. Many of these want a theocracy, not a democracy.
Those demonstrating also include, probably to a higher extent, those whose past, present, and foreseeable futures are mired in poverty as they see their corrupt leaders siphoning off their nations' wealth for their own personal gain. A socialist state may be more to their liking, whether or not democratic institutions accompany it.
Democracy is a fragile and sophisticated institution that requires a certain ability among the population to accept others with differing points of view. But from what I have witnessed so far, there is too much of a "We: Good Guys...Them: Bad Guys...Make Bad Guys Disappear" atmosphere among those pushing for change for any sustainable, workable democracy to gain traction in these countries. Yet. But I don't decry anyone for trying. Still, journalists and the media need to step back and consider the diversity of motives involved here in these protests.
Also, for a true democracy to work to any effective degree, there has to be a judicial system that is generally respected by the population and which is not thought of as being simply the tool of whomever happens to be in power. And the military has to have a strong sense of duty as an institution subordinate to the duly elected powers, not a power unto itself to determine policy (or even if elected civilian leaders stay or go). These countries have a long, long way to go, I'm afraid.
Of course I hope that I'm wrong about things and that all of these countries that are currently in turmoil can transform themselves into societies within which the government serves the people and allows itself to be regularly held accountable, through free elections (implying a concomitant free press) and an independent judiciary. But that seems to be asking for an awful lot, awfully soon.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Gainesville Marathon Passes By as I Pass It Up
Today was the day of the LifeSouth Five Points of Life marathon/half-marathon here in Gainesville. I completely skipped it although I had considered just showing up to observe. I did run around the neighborhood for two miles this morning, doing this for the first time in a week and a half. I wanted to see how much, if any, I had healed from my IT band injury (a tendon inflammation around my right knee) from back in mid-January. I started out well (as usual), but after about a mile and a half began to feel that slight ache under my knee that I knew would eventually intensify into major pain if I continued much longer. So running is on hold, at least for the foreseeable future. That's all right, though, because only my running seems to be hampered by my leg injury.
Instead of running, I have been stepping up my fitness efforts in diverse areas: swimming, cycling, cross-trainer, weight training, walking...and that good old standby: yard work, bound to be more in demand as the temperatures seasonally rise. I am especially heartened by my swimming progress as I am gradually building up an endurance mirroring my running endurance.
Eventually, I'd like to return to running without pushing too hard or too far. I've already accomplished my marathon. Any future running will be done within reasonable parameters that take into account that I am a mortal human being with body parts susceptible to injury. My ideal scenario will be to mix running, swimming, and cycling throughout the week. Hey, wait a minute, that's the triathlon!
Instead of running, I have been stepping up my fitness efforts in diverse areas: swimming, cycling, cross-trainer, weight training, walking...and that good old standby: yard work, bound to be more in demand as the temperatures seasonally rise. I am especially heartened by my swimming progress as I am gradually building up an endurance mirroring my running endurance.
Eventually, I'd like to return to running without pushing too hard or too far. I've already accomplished my marathon. Any future running will be done within reasonable parameters that take into account that I am a mortal human being with body parts susceptible to injury. My ideal scenario will be to mix running, swimming, and cycling throughout the week. Hey, wait a minute, that's the triathlon!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Arcade Fire Nets Grammy for Album
Arcade Fire just won the Grammy for best album of the year, The Suburbs. Arcade Fire, by the way, is an indie/alternative rock band whose music NEVER gets air play over broadcast radio. Instead, when I turn on my radio I hear: ancient songs from decades gone by, insipid kiddy-oriented pop, hip-hop drivel (or as Bo Diddley once termed it, "rap crap"), or jingoistic country sludge. Reality check for broadcasters: if Arcade Fire is so good, then why aren't you playing their music?
I just employed words like crap, sludge, and drivel in the previous paragraph to refer to the kind of music that I get on my radio. We did use to have a classical music station, but apparently that was deemed as too highbrow by the dean of journalism at the University of Florida when he switched the program format of Gainesville's public radio station to all-talk. Not that I object to their talk/news programming: I just wonder why we can't have at least SOME programming that fulfills me musically?
Someday, probably in the not-so-distant future, I'll take you on a little tour along my radio band and critique the various stations I encounter. But it may not be a very pleasant article to read!
Arcade Fire is one of my favorite bands. I have all three of their studio albums so far: Funeral, Neon Bible, and The Suburbs. Everything they've done, like with Radiohead, is eminently listenable. My favorite tune of theirs so far is Neighborhood #2 (Laika) (there are four "neighborhood" songs), from Funeral. But take it from me, just pick anything of theirs at random and you're bound to be pleased!
I just employed words like crap, sludge, and drivel in the previous paragraph to refer to the kind of music that I get on my radio. We did use to have a classical music station, but apparently that was deemed as too highbrow by the dean of journalism at the University of Florida when he switched the program format of Gainesville's public radio station to all-talk. Not that I object to their talk/news programming: I just wonder why we can't have at least SOME programming that fulfills me musically?
Someday, probably in the not-so-distant future, I'll take you on a little tour along my radio band and critique the various stations I encounter. But it may not be a very pleasant article to read!
Arcade Fire is one of my favorite bands. I have all three of their studio albums so far: Funeral, Neon Bible, and The Suburbs. Everything they've done, like with Radiohead, is eminently listenable. My favorite tune of theirs so far is Neighborhood #2 (Laika) (there are four "neighborhood" songs), from Funeral. But take it from me, just pick anything of theirs at random and you're bound to be pleased!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Stephen King's Full Dark No Stars
I have just read Stephen King's latest book Full Dark No Stars. It is a collection of four novellas, patterned after earlier works of his like Different Seasons and Four Past Midnight. The stories all explore the dark side of human nature, especially that element within "ordinary" people that causes them to justify themselves when hurting, even killing, others. There are many gruesome passages very descriptive in graphic carnage, so any squeamish readers who are prone to nightmares may take notice and avoid this book.
The first story is 1922, a first-person account of a Nebraska farmer who enlists the help of his teenage son to murder his own wife (and his son's mother). I'm not giving anything away here; it is the ramifications of that act that determine the story's flow and ending. In 1922, King accomplishes something pretty cool: the transpiring events can either be explained in real, psychological terms or in a paranormal framework (but not both). This intrigues me and is why I recommend it (but not for its gore and violence).
Big Driver is another of Stephen King's many stories featuring a writer as the protagonist and a demented, violent psychopath from the country as the chief adversary. Probably my favorite story of the four, Big Driver nevertheless contains elements of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and King's earlier novel Desperation, neither of which I cared for very much.
Fair Extension presents a familiar story structure: a man with terminal cancer (and a bad case of jealousy toward his best friend) makes a deal with the devil. Only this time the terms are not the protagonist's soul (by this time in human history, souls are almost worthless to the Big Bad Dude), but rather that the stricken character's woes be transferred to someone else that he knows (sounds a lot like the King/Bachman novel Thinner). What struck me about Fair Extension was its unexpected ending, which violated the unspoken rule about "deals with the devil" stories.
The last story, A Good Marriage, was inspired (if you can call it inspiration) by the news about serial killer Dennis Rader, who lived a double life for decades as a community-active family man while at the same time invading women's homes and brutally torturing and murdering them. But King makes the serial killer's wife the protagonist in his story, and once again the violence ensues, along with the self-justification.
There are common elements to all four tales in Full Dark No Stars. In each the protagonist either embarks on a trail of violence or endorses the suffering of others with a sense of justification. But just as important--no, even more so (with the exception of Fair Extension), other people arise as willing accomplices to the acts or as a means of justifying them. And that aspect scares the #@$% out of me more than any of the suspense or violence in the stories. Maybe Stephen King would be happy to know this, moralist that I believe he is deep down inside.
The first story is 1922, a first-person account of a Nebraska farmer who enlists the help of his teenage son to murder his own wife (and his son's mother). I'm not giving anything away here; it is the ramifications of that act that determine the story's flow and ending. In 1922, King accomplishes something pretty cool: the transpiring events can either be explained in real, psychological terms or in a paranormal framework (but not both). This intrigues me and is why I recommend it (but not for its gore and violence).
Big Driver is another of Stephen King's many stories featuring a writer as the protagonist and a demented, violent psychopath from the country as the chief adversary. Probably my favorite story of the four, Big Driver nevertheless contains elements of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and King's earlier novel Desperation, neither of which I cared for very much.
Fair Extension presents a familiar story structure: a man with terminal cancer (and a bad case of jealousy toward his best friend) makes a deal with the devil. Only this time the terms are not the protagonist's soul (by this time in human history, souls are almost worthless to the Big Bad Dude), but rather that the stricken character's woes be transferred to someone else that he knows (sounds a lot like the King/Bachman novel Thinner). What struck me about Fair Extension was its unexpected ending, which violated the unspoken rule about "deals with the devil" stories.
The last story, A Good Marriage, was inspired (if you can call it inspiration) by the news about serial killer Dennis Rader, who lived a double life for decades as a community-active family man while at the same time invading women's homes and brutally torturing and murdering them. But King makes the serial killer's wife the protagonist in his story, and once again the violence ensues, along with the self-justification.
There are common elements to all four tales in Full Dark No Stars. In each the protagonist either embarks on a trail of violence or endorses the suffering of others with a sense of justification. But just as important--no, even more so (with the exception of Fair Extension), other people arise as willing accomplices to the acts or as a means of justifying them. And that aspect scares the #@$% out of me more than any of the suspense or violence in the stories. Maybe Stephen King would be happy to know this, moralist that I believe he is deep down inside.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Happyland in Vietnam
Yesterday I read a short article in the Gainesville Sun about a project on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam: the resort theme park Happyland. Construction on the $2 billion complex of five-star hotels, shops, and a full theme park has just begun and is slated for opening in 2014. Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson's father, is a major investor and attended ceremonies there marking the start of the construction. He stated, among other things, that he wanted to bring happiness to the Vietnamese people with this park, apparently patterned to a degree after Michaels's private Neverland park in California.
I say "fine" to all of this, with one caveat: it seems to me that the "happiness" that the Vietnamese people will ultimately derive from Happyland will be from the money that foreign tourists shell out there that in turn goes into the Vietnamese economy, further stimulating tourism and related businesses. This doesn't seem like Disney World to me, where one can find ordinary working people spending some time with their families. They will want to generate a lot of revenue from the park, and the price will most like reflect what relatively wealthy foreign tourists can afford, not what the average hard-working Vietnamese person has to offer. I'd like to think otherwise, but this seems awfully exclusive to me. But I could be proven wrong.
I say "fine" to all of this, with one caveat: it seems to me that the "happiness" that the Vietnamese people will ultimately derive from Happyland will be from the money that foreign tourists shell out there that in turn goes into the Vietnamese economy, further stimulating tourism and related businesses. This doesn't seem like Disney World to me, where one can find ordinary working people spending some time with their families. They will want to generate a lot of revenue from the park, and the price will most like reflect what relatively wealthy foreign tourists can afford, not what the average hard-working Vietnamese person has to offer. I'd like to think otherwise, but this seems awfully exclusive to me. But I could be proven wrong.
Monday, February 14, 2011
For Melissa
Happy Valentines Day, and Happy Birthday as well, to my wonderful, gorgeous wife Melissa. Baby, you're the greatest!!!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
A Little Indie Rock on AOL Radio
I'm sitting here listening to AOL Radio on my computer. The channel is "Indie Rock Mix", and right now the group MGMT's song Time to Pretend is playing. It was my favorite song of 2008, and I never seem to tire of it. MGMT is from Brooklyn...
But of course, I also want to hear new songs and new artists...but now they're playing a familiar band, The Shins, doing Gone for Good. One of their older tracks and not one of my favorites, either. I did like their songs New Slang and Phantom Limb. Let's see what's up next...
Ah, here is a band I haven't heard before: Freelance Whales and their song Enzymes (which sounds a bit like MGMT material). I like it; I'll have to check this act out. They are from Queens, NY and started out just a couple of years ago...
And once again a new band: Good Old War, from Pennsylvania, with a mostly acoustic piece titled I Should Go. Nice and mellow, I wonder if this is typical of their work...
Here is an old familiar song from an old familiar band: The World at Large by Modest Mouse. Modest Mouse is frankly not one of my favorite indie bands, but I did like their songs Float On and Ocean Breathes Salty. As well as this one...
Whoa, and now Spoon is on with their big hit (in indie circles) I Turn My Camera On. I really dig this band a lot, having obtained five of their albums. Currently my favorite song of theirs is Merchants of Soul from their Gimme Fiction album.
AOL Radio nowadays seems to have merged with Last.fm; I wonder whether I might get more "new" indie rock artists just by going straight over to Last.fm...
But of course, I also want to hear new songs and new artists...but now they're playing a familiar band, The Shins, doing Gone for Good. One of their older tracks and not one of my favorites, either. I did like their songs New Slang and Phantom Limb. Let's see what's up next...
Ah, here is a band I haven't heard before: Freelance Whales and their song Enzymes (which sounds a bit like MGMT material). I like it; I'll have to check this act out. They are from Queens, NY and started out just a couple of years ago...
And once again a new band: Good Old War, from Pennsylvania, with a mostly acoustic piece titled I Should Go. Nice and mellow, I wonder if this is typical of their work...
Here is an old familiar song from an old familiar band: The World at Large by Modest Mouse. Modest Mouse is frankly not one of my favorite indie bands, but I did like their songs Float On and Ocean Breathes Salty. As well as this one...
Whoa, and now Spoon is on with their big hit (in indie circles) I Turn My Camera On. I really dig this band a lot, having obtained five of their albums. Currently my favorite song of theirs is Merchants of Soul from their Gimme Fiction album.
AOL Radio nowadays seems to have merged with Last.fm; I wonder whether I might get more "new" indie rock artists just by going straight over to Last.fm...
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Postal Consolidation Affecting Gainesville
The postal service here in Gainesville is currently undergoing a two-month internal study to decide how this city will fit into the new postal consolidation efforts. There is a possibility that much, if not all, of the outgoing mail processing will be transferred out to Jacksonville. If this happens, then my shift would essentially end and I would probably be transferred to incoming mail processing (oh yes, I guess you can infer from this that I work at the post office). Which would entail me going back to the "graveyard shift" that I worked (and struggled in) for so many years. The most junior employees involved in mail processing might end up being excessed to other offices outside of commuting distance, something that, compared to my own situation, would be quite unnerving and disruptive.
If I end up shifting my hours, then I can handle it. But since 2003, I have become very comfortable with my current afternoon/evening shift. We'll see what happens. Hopefully, consolidation will put the postal service in a more viable financial position. And more hopefully, this isn't just an example of people in higher-up positions trying to justify their own jobs by stirring up the pot and shuffling people (and the mail) around from Point A to Point B. But I can see the pressure that the postmaster general must be under to make some drastic changes in the postal service. First class mail volume has plummeted in recent years due to the Internet revolution. This has taken much needed revenue away from this organization, which (contrary to what some may believe) is not taxpayer funded but rather must financially support itself through its products and services.
If I end up shifting my hours, then I can handle it. But since 2003, I have become very comfortable with my current afternoon/evening shift. We'll see what happens. Hopefully, consolidation will put the postal service in a more viable financial position. And more hopefully, this isn't just an example of people in higher-up positions trying to justify their own jobs by stirring up the pot and shuffling people (and the mail) around from Point A to Point B. But I can see the pressure that the postmaster general must be under to make some drastic changes in the postal service. First class mail volume has plummeted in recent years due to the Internet revolution. This has taken much needed revenue away from this organization, which (contrary to what some may believe) is not taxpayer funded but rather must financially support itself through its products and services.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Olbermann's MSNBC Stint Over
I am disappointed that Keith Olbermann and MSNBC had their falling out recently, leading to the star opinion-maker's departure. He is now going to have his own show on Currents, a politically progressive channel funded by Al Gore. I won't be able to watch Olbermann on it, since my cable company doesn't carry Currents. And looking at their so-called program "schedule", I can understand why. Maybe Olbermann's show can help them begin to put out a regular lineup of good shows.
What I will miss the most from Keith Olbermann are his sardonic rebuttals, usually to those on the far right on radio and on Fox News, crystallized in his Worst Persons in the World segment. Then again, I won't miss at all his refusal to have anyone on his show who isn't a head-nodding sycophant! I noticed that other MSNBC hosts like Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, and Lawrence O'Donnell, themselves all on the left side of the political spectrum and quite convicted in their opinions, welcome dissenting views and guests from the right on their shows. For some reason, though, the idea of doing this seems to offend Olbermann.
Still, I'd like to be able to watch Olbermann from time to time. It looks as if that will be later than sooner, though. Then again, I don't quite understand the criteria that my local cable TV company uses to decide which channels they will air. Maybe I'll turn on my TV one day and Currents will be there!
What I will miss the most from Keith Olbermann are his sardonic rebuttals, usually to those on the far right on radio and on Fox News, crystallized in his Worst Persons in the World segment. Then again, I won't miss at all his refusal to have anyone on his show who isn't a head-nodding sycophant! I noticed that other MSNBC hosts like Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, and Lawrence O'Donnell, themselves all on the left side of the political spectrum and quite convicted in their opinions, welcome dissenting views and guests from the right on their shows. For some reason, though, the idea of doing this seems to offend Olbermann.
Still, I'd like to be able to watch Olbermann from time to time. It looks as if that will be later than sooner, though. Then again, I don't quite understand the criteria that my local cable TV company uses to decide which channels they will air. Maybe I'll turn on my TV one day and Currents will be there!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Injury Recovery Period Extended, Plans Changed
It looks as if my running recovery may be a little more drawn out. I ran 2.72 miles earlier today, with the soreness in my right leg beginning to present itself very gradually about a mile and a half into it. I didn't allow myself to run long enough for it to hurt like it did during the marathon, so I cut short a planned 4.1 mile run. Since the run, my leg has felt fine, with no pain to speak of. But with the LifeSouth Five Points race less than two weeks away, it is pretty obvious that I had better stay away from it, marathon or half-marathon.
Instead, I will step up other fitness activities, like swimming, cycling, walking, weight-training, and riding the cross-trainer (elliptical machine). Gradually, over a period of weeks, I will reintroduce some light running. I won't be training for any future marathons, though. But with shorter distances, who knows what I'll eventually do? I do expect an eventual full recovery from this IT band injury, but the watchword here is "patience".
I am especially interested in getting back to the pool and working on my swimming form and endurance. Of course, for that I'll need a little cooperation from the weather, please!
Instead, I will step up other fitness activities, like swimming, cycling, walking, weight-training, and riding the cross-trainer (elliptical machine). Gradually, over a period of weeks, I will reintroduce some light running. I won't be training for any future marathons, though. But with shorter distances, who knows what I'll eventually do? I do expect an eventual full recovery from this IT band injury, but the watchword here is "patience".
I am especially interested in getting back to the pool and working on my swimming form and endurance. Of course, for that I'll need a little cooperation from the weather, please!
Monday, February 7, 2011
My IT Band Injury Recovery Progress
As mentioned before on this blog, I came down with a leg injury the week before my participation in January 23's Ocala Marathon. It was insidious; the first sign was a seemingly normal ache around the outer portion of my right knee following my breakthrough first-ever marathon run, accomplished on January 15 around northern Gainesville. The next week saw my training runs marred by some pain in that area after having run a few miles. Still, I felt that there was a good chance that I could make it through the Ocala Marathon, pain or not. Wrong, oh-so wrong. I was hurting so much that I had to walk the final seven miles (although it still counts as my second successful marathon finish). In retrospect, though, I should have skipped this event. Especially after discovering the nature of my injury: inflammation of my right iliotibial band, a long section of tissue that stretches the outer length of the leg and attaches itself at various crucial points, most notably at the knee. IT band injuries, as they are more commonly known, need a lot of rest, not more aggravation! I spent the next two weeks completely avoiding any running, although other forms of exercise like walking, swimming, bicycling, and working on the elliptical cross-training machine at my local gym have not bothered me in the slightest. This may be a good sign after I read that cycling should be avoided during recovery. Perhaps my strain wasn't all that severe (I hope).
Yesterday I ran around the block next to my house (two thirds of a mile). There was no pain, always a good sign. But then again, in my previous runs, it always took me running a few miles before any pain set in. So tomorrow (if it ever stops raining around here) I will attempt a 4.1 mile run. If that goes well, then on Thursday I'll step up the mileage even more.
I think that there is a distinct possibility that new running shoes may have been a contributing factor to my IT band injury, so I'm going back to my old Reeboks. I also plan a visit to a local specialty running store to try to buy a pair of shoes that are the most similar in design to these Reeboks, the particular model of which sadly seems to be out of production.
If all continues to go well, then I might just enter the Gainesville LifeSouth Five Points Half-Marathon for February 23. It would be a great victory for me should I be able to overcome this injury in time for it. But I am also readying myself for the possibility that the road to full recovery may take a while longer.
Yesterday I ran around the block next to my house (two thirds of a mile). There was no pain, always a good sign. But then again, in my previous runs, it always took me running a few miles before any pain set in. So tomorrow (if it ever stops raining around here) I will attempt a 4.1 mile run. If that goes well, then on Thursday I'll step up the mileage even more.
I think that there is a distinct possibility that new running shoes may have been a contributing factor to my IT band injury, so I'm going back to my old Reeboks. I also plan a visit to a local specialty running store to try to buy a pair of shoes that are the most similar in design to these Reeboks, the particular model of which sadly seems to be out of production.
If all continues to go well, then I might just enter the Gainesville LifeSouth Five Points Half-Marathon for February 23. It would be a great victory for me should I be able to overcome this injury in time for it. But I am also readying myself for the possibility that the road to full recovery may take a while longer.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
My Favorite Songs of 2010: #1
#1: Us by Regina Spektor
I can't remember exactly when or where I first heard anything by Regina Spektor: it was some time early last year and on either my TV's adult alternative music channel or AOL Radio indie-rock (the most likely of the two). But once I had discovered her, I never looked back and quickly obtained all five of her studio albums. Her third, titled Soviet Kitsch (2004), contains my favorite song of 2010: Us. This track stands out from the other songs on that album, itself still overall a pretty good work. Us is an anthem with a cryptic meaning: Regina seems to be speaking of fleeting fame, scapegoating, and struggling in a world of a "den of thieves". Although the lyrics are interesting, it is the exciting musical mood, complete with a complex instrumental arrangement, that won it over for me. Us is anthemic, to be sure: I just don't quite understand the message! But I'm still trying...
I understand that Regina Spektor's next album will be from her recent London concert. I don't know about any new studio album in the works, though. Take your time, Regina, I have plenty of your stuff already to listen to! And it never grows old, either.
I can't remember exactly when or where I first heard anything by Regina Spektor: it was some time early last year and on either my TV's adult alternative music channel or AOL Radio indie-rock (the most likely of the two). But once I had discovered her, I never looked back and quickly obtained all five of her studio albums. Her third, titled Soviet Kitsch (2004), contains my favorite song of 2010: Us. This track stands out from the other songs on that album, itself still overall a pretty good work. Us is an anthem with a cryptic meaning: Regina seems to be speaking of fleeting fame, scapegoating, and struggling in a world of a "den of thieves". Although the lyrics are interesting, it is the exciting musical mood, complete with a complex instrumental arrangement, that won it over for me. Us is anthemic, to be sure: I just don't quite understand the message! But I'm still trying...
I understand that Regina Spektor's next album will be from her recent London concert. I don't know about any new studio album in the works, though. Take your time, Regina, I have plenty of your stuff already to listen to! And it never grows old, either.
And here's a recap of my favorites from 2020 (click on title to read articles for #2-15):
1 US by Regina Spektor
2 THESE ARE MY TWISTED WORDS by Radiohead
3 MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES by Regina Spektor
4 RECKONER by Radiohead
5 MORNING BELL by Radiohead
6 FAUST ARP by Radiohead
7 I MIGHT BE WRONG by Radiohead
8 IN LIMBO by Radiohead
9 20 YEARS OF SNOW by Regina Spektor
10 GO TO SLEEP by Radiohead
11 SAIL TO THE MOON by Radiohead
12 BETTER by Regina Spektor
13 ARNIKA by Sufjan Stevens
14 I'M A PILOT by Fanfarlo
15 FOLDING CHAIR by Regina Spektor
Saturday, February 5, 2011
What Kind of Democracy Awaits Egypt?
As I watch the turmoil transpiring in Egypt from day to day, it leads me to ponder what kind of democracy this great nation would enjoy should the protesters of President Hosni Mubarak's 29-year autocratic rule succeed in overthrowing his regime and replacing it with a freely elected ruler and political party. I hear that Egypt's opposition to Mubarak is very fractured, without a single unifying organization (like South Africa's African National Congress was). If this continues, then I see two possible developments.
A splintered opposition would seem to work in the favor of Mubarak trying to prolong his power. After all, if I were him I might myself ask whether, just because a lot of people were demonstrating against me, that meant that the majority of Egyptians opposed my rule. I wouldn't necessarily automatically assume that my entire country had given up on me.
If Mubarak were to give up the reins of his power soon, then Egypt would be left with an assortment of disparate political factions that would have to work out their relationships with each other during a free electoral process. Ideally, the electoral outcome would resemble other democratic nations like the US, France, or Britain, where the opposing main parties are split enough in popularity among the general population so that one side can be thrown out every few years in favor of the other. Should Mubarak, however, decide to tough it out for as long as he can, then there is the greater probability that a more unified opposition, likely under the banner of a political party, will arise to oust him. If this happens, then I can see a future in a democratic Egypt dominated by one party that stays in power for decades, feeding off of its own corruption. I see examples of this having happened in places like Mexico and Zimbabwe.
What I don't see in Egypt is something like the Iranian Revolution of 1978, when a relatively sophisticated, secular society became dominated by hardline religious extremists. But then again, it is amazing, looking back at history, how such a seemingly rational people as the Germans suddenly allowed themselves to be transformed into a completely totalitarian society with the ascent of Hitler and the Nazis during the early 1930's. But on the other hand, one could argue that it was the combination of an economic catastrophe, national humiliation after a war, and a sense of betrayal leading to a propensity for scapegoating that led to Hitler's rise to power. All elements I am fearful to say may be present among the Egyptian people to varying degrees.
Whatever the case, I wish the best for Egypt. Not because of how this would help American foreign policy, but because I want these people to be able to be free to pursue their own happiness without being under the boot of a tyrant or a totalitarian ideology. To this end, I hope that Hosni Mubarak departs sooner than later.
A splintered opposition would seem to work in the favor of Mubarak trying to prolong his power. After all, if I were him I might myself ask whether, just because a lot of people were demonstrating against me, that meant that the majority of Egyptians opposed my rule. I wouldn't necessarily automatically assume that my entire country had given up on me.
If Mubarak were to give up the reins of his power soon, then Egypt would be left with an assortment of disparate political factions that would have to work out their relationships with each other during a free electoral process. Ideally, the electoral outcome would resemble other democratic nations like the US, France, or Britain, where the opposing main parties are split enough in popularity among the general population so that one side can be thrown out every few years in favor of the other. Should Mubarak, however, decide to tough it out for as long as he can, then there is the greater probability that a more unified opposition, likely under the banner of a political party, will arise to oust him. If this happens, then I can see a future in a democratic Egypt dominated by one party that stays in power for decades, feeding off of its own corruption. I see examples of this having happened in places like Mexico and Zimbabwe.
What I don't see in Egypt is something like the Iranian Revolution of 1978, when a relatively sophisticated, secular society became dominated by hardline religious extremists. But then again, it is amazing, looking back at history, how such a seemingly rational people as the Germans suddenly allowed themselves to be transformed into a completely totalitarian society with the ascent of Hitler and the Nazis during the early 1930's. But on the other hand, one could argue that it was the combination of an economic catastrophe, national humiliation after a war, and a sense of betrayal leading to a propensity for scapegoating that led to Hitler's rise to power. All elements I am fearful to say may be present among the Egyptian people to varying degrees.
Whatever the case, I wish the best for Egypt. Not because of how this would help American foreign policy, but because I want these people to be able to be free to pursue their own happiness without being under the boot of a tyrant or a totalitarian ideology. To this end, I hope that Hosni Mubarak departs sooner than later.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
My Favorite Songs of 2010: #2
#2: These Are My Twisted Words by Radiohead
I picked up my #2 song of last year as a free download off of Radiohead's official website. They have been recording material for their upcoming album (and beyond). These Are My Twisted Words impressed me the very first time I heard it, a very rare occurrence in my long personal history of listening to music. A very fast-paced piece, it suits my long-distance running quite well. I almost want to put it on "repeat" and forget the other songs I usually play during my training!
These Are My Twisted Words is more instrumental in nature than most of Radiohead's other songs, with a very long initial buildup of drums, guitar, and string bass (or its electronic equivalent). When Thom Yorke finally breaks in with his singing, it is more of a break from the main part of the song, namely the instrumental "accompaniment".
Since These Are My Twisted Words came out for me in the middle of December last year, it is difficult for me to make it my #1 song of 2010, although it is hands-down my favorite in 2011.
So that leaves me with only the top song of 2010 to write about. Remember, this list I have composed comprises music that I just heard for the first time last year, although some songs may have come out earlier. Number one is a case in point, having been released in 2004. But I'll leave that for another time...
I picked up my #2 song of last year as a free download off of Radiohead's official website. They have been recording material for their upcoming album (and beyond). These Are My Twisted Words impressed me the very first time I heard it, a very rare occurrence in my long personal history of listening to music. A very fast-paced piece, it suits my long-distance running quite well. I almost want to put it on "repeat" and forget the other songs I usually play during my training!
These Are My Twisted Words is more instrumental in nature than most of Radiohead's other songs, with a very long initial buildup of drums, guitar, and string bass (or its electronic equivalent). When Thom Yorke finally breaks in with his singing, it is more of a break from the main part of the song, namely the instrumental "accompaniment".
Since These Are My Twisted Words came out for me in the middle of December last year, it is difficult for me to make it my #1 song of 2010, although it is hands-down my favorite in 2011.
So that leaves me with only the top song of 2010 to write about. Remember, this list I have composed comprises music that I just heard for the first time last year, although some songs may have come out earlier. Number one is a case in point, having been released in 2004. But I'll leave that for another time...
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Health Care Reform Law Struck Down
While I am supportive of health care insurance reform, I never was on board with the individual mandate provision that required Americans to buy health insurance from private companies or face stiff fines from the government. The idea that simply being alive makes one fiscally liable to a PRIVATE industry is to me clearly wrong, be it ultimately judged constitutional or not. Well, now Roger Vinson, a federal judge in Florida, has struck down the entire recently enacted "Patient and Affordable Care Act." The next step will be an appeal by the government to the U.S. Supreme Court.
I wouldn't necessarily have had a major problem with the individual mandate to buy health insurance had the originally-designed bill, with a public option, been passed and signed into law. With a public option, such a mandate could be rationalized in much the same way that the old military draft laws were, i.e. as being in the public, national interests. Also, with a public option there would be a more effective mechanism of controlling what could be upward-spiraling prices that could bankrupt people who are only trying to simply comply with the law. The idea that someone is FORCED BY LAW to contribute to a private company's profits, to me, is the epitome of fascism: the marriage of government and private business at the expense of individual liberty.
I have heard the counterargument that motorists are mandated in most states to purchase liability insurance from private companies. But one isn't born a motorist and can choose not to be one if they don't want to. Simply being alive should not make one incur a continual liability to private interests!
The infeasibility of the current bill, at least temporarily struck down in federal court, makes a single-payer system, supported by TAXES (you know, the traditional way we used to fund things), even more attractive to me. But the political climate here in the United States will never allow for such a drastic but necessary change, I'm afraid.
Who knows, perhaps the Supreme Court will overrule Judge Vinson and restore the health care reform act. There are parts of it that I like, most notably the provision prohibiting denial of coverage due to preexisting conditions and the extension to 26 years of age for offspring to be eligible for coverage under their parents' policies. Let's hope that at least these will remain in effect after all of the upcoming legal and legislative wrangling is over.
I wouldn't necessarily have had a major problem with the individual mandate to buy health insurance had the originally-designed bill, with a public option, been passed and signed into law. With a public option, such a mandate could be rationalized in much the same way that the old military draft laws were, i.e. as being in the public, national interests. Also, with a public option there would be a more effective mechanism of controlling what could be upward-spiraling prices that could bankrupt people who are only trying to simply comply with the law. The idea that someone is FORCED BY LAW to contribute to a private company's profits, to me, is the epitome of fascism: the marriage of government and private business at the expense of individual liberty.
I have heard the counterargument that motorists are mandated in most states to purchase liability insurance from private companies. But one isn't born a motorist and can choose not to be one if they don't want to. Simply being alive should not make one incur a continual liability to private interests!
The infeasibility of the current bill, at least temporarily struck down in federal court, makes a single-payer system, supported by TAXES (you know, the traditional way we used to fund things), even more attractive to me. But the political climate here in the United States will never allow for such a drastic but necessary change, I'm afraid.
Who knows, perhaps the Supreme Court will overrule Judge Vinson and restore the health care reform act. There are parts of it that I like, most notably the provision prohibiting denial of coverage due to preexisting conditions and the extension to 26 years of age for offspring to be eligible for coverage under their parents' policies. Let's hope that at least these will remain in effect after all of the upcoming legal and legislative wrangling is over.
Monday, January 31, 2011
My Favorite Songs of 2010: #3
#3: Man of a Thousand Faces by Regina Spektor
Aside from the facts that Regina Spektor is a gifted piano player, a creative genius, and an exceptional singer, her song Man of a Thousand Faces speaks to me on a personal level that few other songs have ever been able to do. It speaks of a man who has weathered turmoil within his life and finally come to a sense of peace, contentment, and simplicity. He sits in a chair by the window, and "smiles at the moon like he knows her". I dig that line, since I tend to treat the celestial bodies I see at night, be they stars, planets, or the moon, as friends of a sort. Well, I dig the whole song, and hearing Regina singing it doesn't hurt!
As a side note, there is a line in the song that refers to the subject during his past and how he would go his favorite bookstore and tear pages out of books, stashing them in his pocket. When I first heard this I was instantly taken to the second Harry Potter movie (not book) The Chamber of Secrets. In it, Harry's school adversary Draco Malfoy is shown doing just that: ripping a page out of a book in a bookstore and stashing it in his pocket. Making me sometimes refer to Man of a Thousand Faces as "Draco's Song". It doesn't hurt my sense of identification with the song, either, since as I have said before on this blog, I think Draco Malfoy (as flawed as he was...no, because he was as flawed as he was) was one of the more realistically portrayed characters in Rowling's Harry Potter series.
Man of a Thousand Faces is the final track on her latest album, 2009's Far. I wonder when her next album is coming out!
Aside from the facts that Regina Spektor is a gifted piano player, a creative genius, and an exceptional singer, her song Man of a Thousand Faces speaks to me on a personal level that few other songs have ever been able to do. It speaks of a man who has weathered turmoil within his life and finally come to a sense of peace, contentment, and simplicity. He sits in a chair by the window, and "smiles at the moon like he knows her". I dig that line, since I tend to treat the celestial bodies I see at night, be they stars, planets, or the moon, as friends of a sort. Well, I dig the whole song, and hearing Regina singing it doesn't hurt!
As a side note, there is a line in the song that refers to the subject during his past and how he would go his favorite bookstore and tear pages out of books, stashing them in his pocket. When I first heard this I was instantly taken to the second Harry Potter movie (not book) The Chamber of Secrets. In it, Harry's school adversary Draco Malfoy is shown doing just that: ripping a page out of a book in a bookstore and stashing it in his pocket. Making me sometimes refer to Man of a Thousand Faces as "Draco's Song". It doesn't hurt my sense of identification with the song, either, since as I have said before on this blog, I think Draco Malfoy (as flawed as he was...no, because he was as flawed as he was) was one of the more realistically portrayed characters in Rowling's Harry Potter series.
Man of a Thousand Faces is the final track on her latest album, 2009's Far. I wonder when her next album is coming out!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Gainesville and Ocala Marathons Compared
Gainesville and Ocala, two modest-sized north central Florida cities, hold marathon races a month apart. The Ocala Marathon, which I just completed by humbly limping across the finish line with a leg injury, emphasizes a "country" course, dominated by horse farms and large rural estates. Gainesville's LifeSouth Five Points event, which takes place in three weeks (I ran in its half-marathon last year), goes right through the heart of town, an urban experience. Having run in each race, I have my own conclusions as to which course is more wisely designed.
In the first place, it needs to be noted that anyone who is in shape to run a marathon can run their own event by themselves by simply designing their own course. I accomplished this on January 15, using Mapmyrun.com to measure out my distances to cover the needed 26.2 miles (I ran 26.6 then). I began the run in my driveway and ended it there. Pretty convenient, right? For one to run in a public race, there needs to be a different kind of payoff to cover the drawbacks of such a run ($60-100 entry fees, unpredictable weather conditions and personal health issues on race day, travel expenses and complications, getting time off from work, etc). Some runners feel the need to publicly "prove" or verify to others that they indeed have completed a marathon, so just privately doing it (like I did on the 15th) just won't cut it for them. Another factor that can serve as an attraction for participation in a marathon is the "tourist" angle: getting to know different places more intimately by simply running down their streets. It is here that I would like to compare the Gainesville and Ocala marathon events.
The Gainesville Five Points Marathon is, as said, urban in nature. It is designed to go straight down some of the busiest streets in Gainesville as well as passing through some historic districts and the University of Florida campus. The Ocala Marathon, by contrast, promotes its course of scenic rural roads, supposedly away from all of the traffic congestion. But this is a completely false argument: I had MUCH MORE trouble with cars in Ocala than I did in Gainesville. As a matter of fact, runners were told that, for much of the race, they would be "sharing the road" with motorists. Unfortunately, I don't think that many of the motorists there were aware that they were supposed to "share the road" with the runners!
Another advantage that Gainesville had over Ocala was that the course for the former was completely non-repeating, while with the latter there was much "there-and-back" retracing of paths and, for the marathoners, the need to repeat an eight-mile long loop. Besides this repetition making the Ocala course more tedious than Gainesville's, Ocala also had to keep street lanes closed for the runners for much longer than with Gainesville, which could gradually reopen roads as the lagging runners passed different points. The result was relative order in a largely urban race and congestion in a supposedly rural one.
Finally, I don't know about you, but once I've seen two or three horse farms and cow pastures, along with a few wealthy estates sprinkled in, I tend to lose interest in my surroundings. But put me in the heart of a city, even within Ocala for that matter, and there is always something interesting to draw my attention and make the journey more enjoyable.
So I guess you can tell which town I prefer to run a marathon in (or a half-marathon, for that matter). Gainesville rules!
In the first place, it needs to be noted that anyone who is in shape to run a marathon can run their own event by themselves by simply designing their own course. I accomplished this on January 15, using Mapmyrun.com to measure out my distances to cover the needed 26.2 miles (I ran 26.6 then). I began the run in my driveway and ended it there. Pretty convenient, right? For one to run in a public race, there needs to be a different kind of payoff to cover the drawbacks of such a run ($60-100 entry fees, unpredictable weather conditions and personal health issues on race day, travel expenses and complications, getting time off from work, etc). Some runners feel the need to publicly "prove" or verify to others that they indeed have completed a marathon, so just privately doing it (like I did on the 15th) just won't cut it for them. Another factor that can serve as an attraction for participation in a marathon is the "tourist" angle: getting to know different places more intimately by simply running down their streets. It is here that I would like to compare the Gainesville and Ocala marathon events.
The Gainesville Five Points Marathon is, as said, urban in nature. It is designed to go straight down some of the busiest streets in Gainesville as well as passing through some historic districts and the University of Florida campus. The Ocala Marathon, by contrast, promotes its course of scenic rural roads, supposedly away from all of the traffic congestion. But this is a completely false argument: I had MUCH MORE trouble with cars in Ocala than I did in Gainesville. As a matter of fact, runners were told that, for much of the race, they would be "sharing the road" with motorists. Unfortunately, I don't think that many of the motorists there were aware that they were supposed to "share the road" with the runners!
Another advantage that Gainesville had over Ocala was that the course for the former was completely non-repeating, while with the latter there was much "there-and-back" retracing of paths and, for the marathoners, the need to repeat an eight-mile long loop. Besides this repetition making the Ocala course more tedious than Gainesville's, Ocala also had to keep street lanes closed for the runners for much longer than with Gainesville, which could gradually reopen roads as the lagging runners passed different points. The result was relative order in a largely urban race and congestion in a supposedly rural one.
Finally, I don't know about you, but once I've seen two or three horse farms and cow pastures, along with a few wealthy estates sprinkled in, I tend to lose interest in my surroundings. But put me in the heart of a city, even within Ocala for that matter, and there is always something interesting to draw my attention and make the journey more enjoyable.
So I guess you can tell which town I prefer to run a marathon in (or a half-marathon, for that matter). Gainesville rules!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
My Favorite Songs of 2010: #4
#4: Reckoner by Radiohead
It's probably an exercise in futility to try to discern whether or not a particular song I hear was inspired by an earlier artist, or perhaps even serving as a tribute. So instead of trying to read the minds of the members of the English band Radiohead regarding their 2007 song Reckoner, I'll just say that it bears to me a great degree of resemblance to the works of the late great American soul artist Marvin Gaye.
It may seem strange that I make this comparison, considering the reputation that Radiohead has for being an innovative alternative rock band, but it might be worthwhile remembering what an innovator Marvin Gaye himself was. Remember What's Going On in 1971? Besides, I dig Marvin Gaye's music with only a very few exceptions.
Reckoner is from the album In Rainbows, noted for its diversity of musical styles. On this track, I like the high-pitched crooning voice of Thom Yorke; it was obviously produced on multiple tracks to allow him to harmonize with himself. And as with Faust Arp, the background symphonic-sounding music cuts in at opportune moments to add a beautiful touch.
I suppose that, with my ever-widening collection of independent/alternative music, I should try listening to a greater variety of acts than this 2010 list of mine indicates. But alas, I tend to get fanatical about a good artist or band and go overboard listening to their songs. So it was last year for me with Regina Spektor and Radiohead. Yes, I think I'll dub 2010 as the Year of Reginahead!
It's probably an exercise in futility to try to discern whether or not a particular song I hear was inspired by an earlier artist, or perhaps even serving as a tribute. So instead of trying to read the minds of the members of the English band Radiohead regarding their 2007 song Reckoner, I'll just say that it bears to me a great degree of resemblance to the works of the late great American soul artist Marvin Gaye.
It may seem strange that I make this comparison, considering the reputation that Radiohead has for being an innovative alternative rock band, but it might be worthwhile remembering what an innovator Marvin Gaye himself was. Remember What's Going On in 1971? Besides, I dig Marvin Gaye's music with only a very few exceptions.
Reckoner is from the album In Rainbows, noted for its diversity of musical styles. On this track, I like the high-pitched crooning voice of Thom Yorke; it was obviously produced on multiple tracks to allow him to harmonize with himself. And as with Faust Arp, the background symphonic-sounding music cuts in at opportune moments to add a beautiful touch.
I suppose that, with my ever-widening collection of independent/alternative music, I should try listening to a greater variety of acts than this 2010 list of mine indicates. But alas, I tend to get fanatical about a good artist or band and go overboard listening to their songs. So it was last year for me with Regina Spektor and Radiohead. Yes, I think I'll dub 2010 as the Year of Reginahead!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Packer Tie Firing Not an Outrage
The other morning, as I was drinking some coffee and waiting for my daughter to get herself ready for school, I happened to have the TV on ABC's Good Morning America. Besides their news, on this morning they kept running a teaser about some guy who was fired from his job for coming to work wearing a tie that promoted his football team. Sounds pretty outrageous, doesn't it? The visuals showed the tie: the Green Bay Packers was the dude's team. Oh. The mystery was beginning to unravel, and so was the outrage. Then, further information was offered up: this all happened in Chicago, at a car sales lot. The soon-to-be ex-employee was a car salesman coming to work at this high-profile, public job...again, where? Chicago. Oh, by the way, the previous Sunday, Green Bay beat the Chicago Bears in the NFC championship game (held in Chicago) to decide who was going to the Super Bowl. Besides that, Green Bay and Chicago are bitter divisional rivals, not to mention the longest rivals in professional football history.
So we know now that this guy shows up to work for this company as their representative to try to convince Chicago-area residents to buy cars from them. While rubbing in their faces, every time they look at him, the fact that his Packers just beat their Bears in their team's most important game in years. Brilliant. But wait, Good Morning America was going to have the salesman on to present his side of the story. I told my wife that I bet he didn't instantly get fired as the story's buildup implied, but rather was given a chance by his boss to remove the tie. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. According to the ex-salesman's own account, the store's manager told him not once, but twice, to remove his Green Bay Packers tie. He outright refused and by his own admission became angry and argumentative with his boss. Only after that happened was he given his dismissal.
So there is usually another side to any story that has a sensationalist angle to it. It seems, on the surface, a major outrage that wearing a harmless tie promoting one's sports team could make one lose his job. But as it turned out, it was arrogant insubordination, probably in a very public setting, that really caused the salesman to be fired. A supervisor or manager merits at least an outward display of respect from the employees he or she is responsible for. The salesman put his boss on the spot with his refusal. If I were in that manager's shoes, I don't know that I would have insisted that the tie be removed. But if I had given a similar instruction to an employee under my charge and that employee repeatedly and angrily refused to comply, I would have no qualms with sacking them.
So we know now that this guy shows up to work for this company as their representative to try to convince Chicago-area residents to buy cars from them. While rubbing in their faces, every time they look at him, the fact that his Packers just beat their Bears in their team's most important game in years. Brilliant. But wait, Good Morning America was going to have the salesman on to present his side of the story. I told my wife that I bet he didn't instantly get fired as the story's buildup implied, but rather was given a chance by his boss to remove the tie. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. According to the ex-salesman's own account, the store's manager told him not once, but twice, to remove his Green Bay Packers tie. He outright refused and by his own admission became angry and argumentative with his boss. Only after that happened was he given his dismissal.
So there is usually another side to any story that has a sensationalist angle to it. It seems, on the surface, a major outrage that wearing a harmless tie promoting one's sports team could make one lose his job. But as it turned out, it was arrogant insubordination, probably in a very public setting, that really caused the salesman to be fired. A supervisor or manager merits at least an outward display of respect from the employees he or she is responsible for. The salesman put his boss on the spot with his refusal. If I were in that manager's shoes, I don't know that I would have insisted that the tie be removed. But if I had given a similar instruction to an employee under my charge and that employee repeatedly and angrily refused to comply, I would have no qualms with sacking them.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
My Favorite Songs of 2010: #5
#5: Morning Bell by Radiohead
When I was a child in the early 1960's, I had a set bedtime that prevented me from watching much of the prime time television that my parents enjoyed. One of the shows that they liked but deprived me of watching (or so they thought) was Twilight Zone. I would often sneak out of my room and go down the hallway just far enough to see our only TV set, with my parents sitting out-of-view around the corner. I got quite good at this subterfuge over the years, even daring myself at times to climb up the hall's walls with my feet pressed at each side, all the way up to the ceiling. But I digress...
One night I was stealing a look at a particularly interesting Twilight Zone episode. In it, a sister and her little brother discovered that they could dive into their family swimming pool and come out in another reality, full of playful kids in the country and a kindly granny-type woman who looked after everyone. The two children found out later that their parents were getting a divorce and each was given a choice as to which they would want to live with. So there was a distinct possibility that sister and brother would be split up. The swimming pool was the focal point of that episode and dictated how the children would answer their parents. And now I finally come to my #5 pick of 2010: Radiohead's somber Morning Bell.
Morning Bell is a song about an ugly divorce, if I interpreted it correctly. One of the early lines is "You can keep the furniture" and Thom Yorke, apparently assuming the role of one of the splitting parties, cries out "Release me!" throughout the song. The song's last line is the most haunting, though: "Cut the kids in half". And I get taken back to that unforgettable Twilight Zone episode, whose title I discovered years later was The Bewitching Pool.
I love just about everything about Morning Bell: melody, musical arrangement, singing, you name it. What's more is that there are two entirely different versions of the song. On the album Kid A, it appears as a standard band piece that one might hear in a concert. On Amnesiac, it is a lush, multi-layered track with the flavor of experiencing a dream. Both are fantastic!
When I was a child in the early 1960's, I had a set bedtime that prevented me from watching much of the prime time television that my parents enjoyed. One of the shows that they liked but deprived me of watching (or so they thought) was Twilight Zone. I would often sneak out of my room and go down the hallway just far enough to see our only TV set, with my parents sitting out-of-view around the corner. I got quite good at this subterfuge over the years, even daring myself at times to climb up the hall's walls with my feet pressed at each side, all the way up to the ceiling. But I digress...
One night I was stealing a look at a particularly interesting Twilight Zone episode. In it, a sister and her little brother discovered that they could dive into their family swimming pool and come out in another reality, full of playful kids in the country and a kindly granny-type woman who looked after everyone. The two children found out later that their parents were getting a divorce and each was given a choice as to which they would want to live with. So there was a distinct possibility that sister and brother would be split up. The swimming pool was the focal point of that episode and dictated how the children would answer their parents. And now I finally come to my #5 pick of 2010: Radiohead's somber Morning Bell.
Morning Bell is a song about an ugly divorce, if I interpreted it correctly. One of the early lines is "You can keep the furniture" and Thom Yorke, apparently assuming the role of one of the splitting parties, cries out "Release me!" throughout the song. The song's last line is the most haunting, though: "Cut the kids in half". And I get taken back to that unforgettable Twilight Zone episode, whose title I discovered years later was The Bewitching Pool.
I love just about everything about Morning Bell: melody, musical arrangement, singing, you name it. What's more is that there are two entirely different versions of the song. On the album Kid A, it appears as a standard band piece that one might hear in a concert. On Amnesiac, it is a lush, multi-layered track with the flavor of experiencing a dream. Both are fantastic!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Fit Elderly
It was apparent to me from the get-go, before Sunday's Ocala Marathon race even began, that I would be running in special company. All around me were people at least my age or older. Some were much, much older. For the first half of the race, when I was actually mostly running, I had surged ahead of most of them (although a few were clearly very fast, like "Maddog" John Wallace). But as I walked through most of the race's end (due to my intensifying right leg pain, dammit), one by one almost all of the remainder caught up with me and passed me. This repeated experience of observing happy, fit, and often very elderly runners completing a 26.2-mile MARATHON made a deep impression on me. But it wasn't the first time I've seen this sort of thing.
When it's real cold outside and below freezing, my local YMCA's heated swimming pool remains closed. But once the outside temperature gets into the mid-thirties, the tarps are pulled back and the pool is opened for anyone intrepid enough to venture a swim. And just what kind of person would that be? From my safe (and wimpy) position in their exercise room, I have observed elderly person after elderly person (never anyone young) walk out to the pool when it is that cold, in typical "summer" swimwear. Then the young lifeguard would come out of the office to guard them, bundled to the hilt in winter protective clothing, hunched over, and shivering. Then the swimmers would do their seemingly endless laps, showing no discomfort whatsoever from the cold!
When I think of the kids in my age group that I went to school with, I wonder how each of them has turned out by now with their health, and what their prospects are for old age. Cancers and systemic chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease can hit pretty early, often by one's late thirties. For many of those who survive into their sixties and seventies, they are often-as-not saddled with chronic infirmities or disabilities that interfere with their mobility and ability to enjoy life to its fullest. And then there are THESE people I see around me, swimming in the near-freezing cold and running marathons, with no end in sight as to what they can do! Guess which group I want to be a part of??!!
When it's real cold outside and below freezing, my local YMCA's heated swimming pool remains closed. But once the outside temperature gets into the mid-thirties, the tarps are pulled back and the pool is opened for anyone intrepid enough to venture a swim. And just what kind of person would that be? From my safe (and wimpy) position in their exercise room, I have observed elderly person after elderly person (never anyone young) walk out to the pool when it is that cold, in typical "summer" swimwear. Then the young lifeguard would come out of the office to guard them, bundled to the hilt in winter protective clothing, hunched over, and shivering. Then the swimmers would do their seemingly endless laps, showing no discomfort whatsoever from the cold!
When I think of the kids in my age group that I went to school with, I wonder how each of them has turned out by now with their health, and what their prospects are for old age. Cancers and systemic chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease can hit pretty early, often by one's late thirties. For many of those who survive into their sixties and seventies, they are often-as-not saddled with chronic infirmities or disabilities that interfere with their mobility and ability to enjoy life to its fullest. And then there are THESE people I see around me, swimming in the near-freezing cold and running marathons, with no end in sight as to what they can do! Guess which group I want to be a part of??!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
My Favorite Songs of 2010: #6
#6: Faust Arp by Radiohead
Radiohead's last release is an eclectic album titled In Rainbows, released in 2007. In it the group explores various musical styles, as well as seeming to pay tribute to influential acts from the past. In Faust Arp, one of Radiohead's shortest-ever songs, I sense the influence of the Beatles. In fact, the guitar background sounds an awful lot like Dear Prudence, one of John Lennon's contributions to the White Album. The melody and lyrics go off in an entirely different direction though, and what sounds like an orchestral string section (or an electronic representation thereof) cuts in at opportune moments, creating a beautiful effect. So much intensity in such a short and overtly understated piece... Thom Yorke sings Faust Arp straight and without affect, almost as if he were simply speaking his case (one of apparent frustration) at the listener. It works!
Speaking of the Beatles, sometimes I wonder about the direction that the individual members took with their solo careers after the breakup, marveling at how their output tended to suffer in quality without their collaborative and critical influence on each other. Faust Arp is an example of a song that I would have expected from someone like Paul McCartney, instead of some of the drivel that he actually put out (such as Another Day or My Love).
In Rainbows provides one more song on my personal 2010 favorites list, and it also appears to be a tribute to a great act of the past. But I'll leave that one to another day.
Radiohead's last release is an eclectic album titled In Rainbows, released in 2007. In it the group explores various musical styles, as well as seeming to pay tribute to influential acts from the past. In Faust Arp, one of Radiohead's shortest-ever songs, I sense the influence of the Beatles. In fact, the guitar background sounds an awful lot like Dear Prudence, one of John Lennon's contributions to the White Album. The melody and lyrics go off in an entirely different direction though, and what sounds like an orchestral string section (or an electronic representation thereof) cuts in at opportune moments, creating a beautiful effect. So much intensity in such a short and overtly understated piece... Thom Yorke sings Faust Arp straight and without affect, almost as if he were simply speaking his case (one of apparent frustration) at the listener. It works!
Speaking of the Beatles, sometimes I wonder about the direction that the individual members took with their solo careers after the breakup, marveling at how their output tended to suffer in quality without their collaborative and critical influence on each other. Faust Arp is an example of a song that I would have expected from someone like Paul McCartney, instead of some of the drivel that he actually put out (such as Another Day or My Love).
In Rainbows provides one more song on my personal 2010 favorites list, and it also appears to be a tribute to a great act of the past. But I'll leave that one to another day.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Ocala Marathon Completed, With Pain
I completed the Ocala Marathon today, but I had to spend a considerable portion of the race walking because of some pain coming from my right leg near the knee. This pain, which I first noticed as a minor twinge after my first-ever marathon run on January 15, never happens at the beginning of a run, and it didn't with today's. Around the 5-mile mark, I noticed a little aching in that area. It worsened until, by around 10 miles, I had to increase my walking breaks. For the next 9 miles, the walking increased while the running proportionately decreased. Finally, by mile marker #19 the pain while running was too much for me and I had to walk the rest of the way. Although my time was horrendous (a tad over 6 hours), I still received a lovely medal for having completed the 26.2 mile Ocala Marathon.
I'm going to take a needed break from running for at least a couple of weeks (and possibly longer) in order for the injured part of my leg to properly heal. I strongly doubt that I will be running the marathon in Gainesville next month as planned. But the half-marathon? Well, that may be in the works should my leg make a complete recovery.
I'm going to take a needed break from running for at least a couple of weeks (and possibly longer) in order for the injured part of my leg to properly heal. I strongly doubt that I will be running the marathon in Gainesville next month as planned. But the half-marathon? Well, that may be in the works should my leg make a complete recovery.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
My Favorite Songs of 2010: #7
#7: I Might be Wrong by Radiohead
I Might be Wrong is a relentless, pummeling track from Radiohead's remarkable 2001 Amnesiac album. It is a song tailor-made for becoming a great hit, but it remained on that album as a "deep" track, unreleased as a single. And it makes me wonder why others closer to the music and who are involved in marketing decisions can't seem to realize the treasures that they are passing up. I've seen this with several Radiohead songs, reminding me of the numerous sensational R.E.M. songs that have remained buried deep within their albums, never seeing the light of day on broadcast radio (to use a rather inappropriate metaphor).
Although Thom Yorke charms us throughout I Might be Wrong with his beautiful high-pitched singing voice, here he takes a back seat to the instruments, in particular the drums as they interplay with the guitars. This may well be one of the best percussion pieces I've ever heard. The closing section of the song, following a brief pause, is quite impressive.
Amnesiac is often thought of as being the album full of songs not quite "good" enough to be on Kid A, which was recorded at the same time and released a year earlier. To me, the quality on both is uniformly phenomenal.
I Might be Wrong is a relentless, pummeling track from Radiohead's remarkable 2001 Amnesiac album. It is a song tailor-made for becoming a great hit, but it remained on that album as a "deep" track, unreleased as a single. And it makes me wonder why others closer to the music and who are involved in marketing decisions can't seem to realize the treasures that they are passing up. I've seen this with several Radiohead songs, reminding me of the numerous sensational R.E.M. songs that have remained buried deep within their albums, never seeing the light of day on broadcast radio (to use a rather inappropriate metaphor).
Although Thom Yorke charms us throughout I Might be Wrong with his beautiful high-pitched singing voice, here he takes a back seat to the instruments, in particular the drums as they interplay with the guitars. This may well be one of the best percussion pieces I've ever heard. The closing section of the song, following a brief pause, is quite impressive.
Amnesiac is often thought of as being the album full of songs not quite "good" enough to be on Kid A, which was recorded at the same time and released a year earlier. To me, the quality on both is uniformly phenomenal.
Friday, January 21, 2011
NFL Conference Championship Games This Sunday
Well, time for another of my vicarious sports ramblings...
It is once again the weekend for the National Football League conference championship games. The surprises are that teams like New England, Indianapolis, and last year's Super Bowl champion New Orleans are absent this year. Instead, we see the New York Jets on the road, "pitted" against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the American Conference final, while in the National Conference the Green Bay Packers will play in Chicago against the Bears. These will be cold, northern winter games played out in the open in domeless stadiums. Just thinking of that game in Chicago makes me want to shiver!
I like the swagger and showmanship of the Jets, even though they are bitter divisional rivals of "my" team, the eternally-disappointing Miami Dolphins. Couple this with the fact that they are playing the Steelers, a franchise that I have generally loathed since the mid-1970's, and you have in me an ardent New York supporter, at least for this game.
As for Green Bay vs. Chicago, I happen to like both teams. But I REALLY like the Packers with their premium quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It's fun to root for a team every now and then that doesn't act as if it is hellbent on self-destruction every time its offense is out on the field (a dig at the Dolphins' play for the last few years, except for 2008). I also like Jay Cutler, the Bears' quarterback, although he sometimes seems to forget which team he is supposed to throw the ball to!
The sports media pundits are split on who will win the Steelers/Jets game, but they generally agree that the Packers will beat the Bears. Which probably means that the former game, predicted to be close, will be a blowout and that the latter will be won by Chicago!
It is once again the weekend for the National Football League conference championship games. The surprises are that teams like New England, Indianapolis, and last year's Super Bowl champion New Orleans are absent this year. Instead, we see the New York Jets on the road, "pitted" against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the American Conference final, while in the National Conference the Green Bay Packers will play in Chicago against the Bears. These will be cold, northern winter games played out in the open in domeless stadiums. Just thinking of that game in Chicago makes me want to shiver!
I like the swagger and showmanship of the Jets, even though they are bitter divisional rivals of "my" team, the eternally-disappointing Miami Dolphins. Couple this with the fact that they are playing the Steelers, a franchise that I have generally loathed since the mid-1970's, and you have in me an ardent New York supporter, at least for this game.
As for Green Bay vs. Chicago, I happen to like both teams. But I REALLY like the Packers with their premium quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It's fun to root for a team every now and then that doesn't act as if it is hellbent on self-destruction every time its offense is out on the field (a dig at the Dolphins' play for the last few years, except for 2008). I also like Jay Cutler, the Bears' quarterback, although he sometimes seems to forget which team he is supposed to throw the ball to!
The sports media pundits are split on who will win the Steelers/Jets game, but they generally agree that the Packers will beat the Bears. Which probably means that the former game, predicted to be close, will be a blowout and that the latter will be won by Chicago!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
My Head in the Clouds
It seems as if lately there have been a multitude of problems besieging my little family. The flooring in our house had to be partially redone, our thirteen-year-old dog was suddenly sick and needed to be seen by the veterinarian, assorted health, work, school, and social issues have confronted us to varying degrees, and the weather...yes, that pretty much sucked, too, with it either being too hot, too cold, too humid, too foggy, too windy,...you get the picture.
As a matter of fact, regarding the weather, I tend to sometimes have my "head in the clouds". For example, my wife earlier today told me "When it rains, it pours", in obvious reference to our little pile of problems. To which I gave an answer that Mr. Spock might have said: "Yes, I agree! It seems I'm always waiting for the rain to stop, but it keeps going on in spite of what the forecast says." And to which the family members present (wife and daughter) erupted into howls of laughter.
I suppose I could have later claimed to have made my ridiculous remark with the deliberate aim of lifting everyone's spirits. Well, no, not really, but it worked out that way anyway...my family knows perfectly well what a nut I am about the weather!
As a matter of fact, regarding the weather, I tend to sometimes have my "head in the clouds". For example, my wife earlier today told me "When it rains, it pours", in obvious reference to our little pile of problems. To which I gave an answer that Mr. Spock might have said: "Yes, I agree! It seems I'm always waiting for the rain to stop, but it keeps going on in spite of what the forecast says." And to which the family members present (wife and daughter) erupted into howls of laughter.
I suppose I could have later claimed to have made my ridiculous remark with the deliberate aim of lifting everyone's spirits. Well, no, not really, but it worked out that way anyway...my family knows perfectly well what a nut I am about the weather!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
My Favorite Songs of 2010: #8
#8: In Limbo by Radiohead
In Limbo is an example, in my opinion, of a song that continually breaks down and then reorganizes itself. The resulting alternating order and chaos is pretty fascinating to me, and the lyrics conveyed by Thom Yorke's trademark doleful singing caps it. It also has a very cool jazzy sound to it as well, quite a different type of Radiohead song.
And why not? In Limbo is from Radiohead's fourth studio album Kid A (2000), an admittedly experimental work in which the band tried out anything and everything that might create a special sound. Kid A is my favorite Radiohead album, followed closely by 2001's Amnesiac. Both works were recorded at the same time and could have been released as a double album. Instead, they came out as two distinct releases. If you want the best from this band, these are the two albums you want to obtain!
And once again, of course, as was the case with Go to Sleep, I came to love In Limbo while on my long training runs, listening to them on my MP3. It has the effect of performing a "reset" in my mind, completely distracting me from anything else that has been going on and allowing me to refocus my thoughts in a more positive, constructive direction. That is ironic since the song's lyrics aren't really all that positive (Thom has "lost his way" in it)!
In Limbo is an example, in my opinion, of a song that continually breaks down and then reorganizes itself. The resulting alternating order and chaos is pretty fascinating to me, and the lyrics conveyed by Thom Yorke's trademark doleful singing caps it. It also has a very cool jazzy sound to it as well, quite a different type of Radiohead song.
And why not? In Limbo is from Radiohead's fourth studio album Kid A (2000), an admittedly experimental work in which the band tried out anything and everything that might create a special sound. Kid A is my favorite Radiohead album, followed closely by 2001's Amnesiac. Both works were recorded at the same time and could have been released as a double album. Instead, they came out as two distinct releases. If you want the best from this band, these are the two albums you want to obtain!
And once again, of course, as was the case with Go to Sleep, I came to love In Limbo while on my long training runs, listening to them on my MP3. It has the effect of performing a "reset" in my mind, completely distracting me from anything else that has been going on and allowing me to refocus my thoughts in a more positive, constructive direction. That is ironic since the song's lyrics aren't really all that positive (Thom has "lost his way" in it)!
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